Sonic: Metal Brotherhood
by ngrey651
Summary: All magic is said to have a price...unless you have the Chaos Emeralds. The power of God. Those who possess are unbound to laws of equivalent exchange. They can gain without sacrifice. Create without equal exchange. We searched for it...we found it...
1. Prologue

_The basic rule of all magic stems from one thing: the concept of Faith. In order to understand magic, you must be able to believe in it, pure and simple. _

_From thereon out, pure willpower and the elements around you are what bring out the best in Magic. The problem with magic is that you can only do so much with it and only if you follow it's rules..._

The blue-quilled hedgehog rubbed the ridge of his black nose as he shut his green eyes. He stood in the center of a dark-painted room on a wooden floor, candles arranged in a circle. "Okay bro, you're SURE we have everything? I keep having the "bad feeling" hairs on the back of my neck goin' "woo-woo-woo"." He told his brother.

"This is gonna bring Mom back." His brother insisted. He was an tan/orange fox with a white chest, and white-tipped tails. 9 of them, in fact. "I've done all the calculations ten times over." The young fox told his brother, holding up a notepad with a pen attached to the top.

The hedgehog ruffled the hair atop his brother's head, smiling broadly. "Sorry, Miles. I just...I just want everything to be perfect, y'know?" He told the kitsune as they walked over to the edges of the room. There were rings...different-colored rings...placed within boxes at the edges of the room, all glittering like a beautiful collected rainbow. The hedgehog held one up, and it burned a blazing, passionate red in the light of the room.

"Fire." He spoke out loud. "The element of Courage."

The fox held up a ring that glittered like an emerald. "Wind, the element of Freedom."

Next the hedgehog held up a ring that was the color of steel. "Metal, the element of Loyalty."

Now the fox held up a ring that was colored as black as night. "Darkness, the element of Power."

Then the hedgehog held up a light blue ring. "Ice, element of Peace."

The fox held up a yellow ring. "Lightning, element of Hope."

A blue ring. "Water, element of Kindness."

A brown ring. "Earth, element of Fortitude."

A purple ring. "Poison, element of Cunning."

An orange ring. "Gravity, element of Friendship."

A white ring. "Light, element of Faith."

A pink ring. "Time, element of Balance."

They took all of the rings and placed them in the center of the room, in a circle. No beginning, no end. A perfect symmetry to complete the magic.

"Seems like only yesterday we were doin' this for mom, huh?" The hedgehog asked, tilting his head to the side as he looked over at his brother, who had his book of spells open and was looking over the necessary magic they needed to perform.

"Yeah, it does, doesn't it?" The fox whispered quietly, his eyes filling with memory. The hedgehog bit his lip as they stood silent for a few moments, neither one saying anything.

_"Oh my." Their mother said, looking into her husband's old study, brushing some of her long, purple hair back. She adjusted the white dress she wore and tightened her yellow cloth belt. "Olgilvie Maurice, look at what you've done. Making a mess in your father's study again?" She asked. "And you've scattered rings all over the floor, too. You need to be more careful." She told him, shaking her head._

_"Oh no, ma." The hedgehog insisted, shaking his head emphatically. "They're not scattered. Lookit the pattern I made and watch!" He asked. He held one hand over the star-shaped pattern of the rings. "Watch! HWAH!" He let out a cry and his hand sparkled with copper-tinted light, the same color as the rings below. They glowed brightly, and before Aleena's eyes, they had transformed into something else entirely... a small little copper statue of The hedgehog._

_"Ta-daaaaa!" He proclaimed as his foxy brother walked into the room, smiling happily._

_"That's Metallurgy, right?" Aleena inquired. Metallurgy was all about the study of Physical and Chemical actions of Metallic-based items. Recently it had been revealed that certain KINDS of metal had magical properties, thus Metallurgy was now primarily the study of magical metals and the actions that could be performed with them. "Did your father teach you?"_

_"How can we learn from somebody who's not here?" The fox commented. "We just read the books. He wrote down all the information we needed."_

_"It's all in the books?" Aleena asked, tilting her head slightly as she looked at some of the scattered journals._

_"Should we...not have done that?" The hedgehog asked. "Did...did we mess up?"_

_"Not at all!" Aleena laughed, hugging the two of them tightly. "Oh, my clever, CLEVER boys! You ARE your father's sons. I'm so proud of you two!" _

"Okay, let's get to it." The hedgehog told The fox as the fox headed towards the center of the room where the rings were, whilst The hedgehog grabbed a knife off of the nearby table. He picked it up, then tossed it to The fox, who caught it easily.

"Alright. First me, then you." He said, holding up his furry paw. He carefully slit open one of his fingers, allowing blood to drip down onto the space in the middle of the rings. The hedgehog stepped over to The fox, then took the knife for himself, cutting into his own finger. The blood dripped down onto the other patch of blood as they stepped out of the circular space.

"The blood we gave will contain our "memories"." The fox said. "Our experiences with mom are contained within our spiritual self, which has just had a small piece placed within the center of the ring. Now..." The fox looked through the book, then The hedgehog spoke up suddenly.

"Ooh, the candles! Did you light them all?" He asked the fox.

"I KNEW I forgot something. Good thing you remembered in time." He admitted. The hedgehog headed over to the nearby desk in the room, brushing past some old armor and picking out a small lighter from a nearby cardboard box.

_Though we immersed ourselves in Metallurgy, our knowledge sadly was of no comfort when she died of an epidemic the next summer. And...well..._

_"Brother, let's go home." The fox told the hedgehog as they sat outside, looking at their mother's simple headstone. _

_The hedgehog said nothing. His eyes conveyed a deep, personal hurt. He was beyond the point of crying and had entered into some strange new area of suffering that he, as a child, had never experienced before. Neither of them were even teenagers. _

_"Once dad gets back home I'm sure-"_

_"DON'T YOU TALK ABOUT HIM!" The hedgehog almost screamed. "He ain't our dad, Miles! He couldn't even come here for Ma's funeral! That...that..." _

_They stayed quiet for a few minutes, simply sitting in the grass as the sun began to slowly set, casting faint shadows of the occasional tree that was scattered on the vast plains their home was built on. _

_"...what if we can bring her back?" Olgilvie asked, looking at the headstone of "Aleena Maurice". _

_"...what?" The eyes of Miles widened. "It was written in the books that only God's **chosen** can perform Life magic of any kind. Only THEY can bring back the dead. We're not naturals in ANY kind of magic, certainly not-" _

_"That's why this is gonna be our little secret." The young dibbun insisted, standing up. _

_"You guys okay?" A voice called out. They turned around to see a pink hedgehog with slightly less quills than Olgilvie standing there in a green dress with an orange frill at the bottom and blue shoes._

_"What do you want, Amy?" Olgilvie asked._

_Amy put a finger to her lip. "You know, my gramma says that every time you think of a dead person and cry, the sadder that the dead person feels in the next world." _

_"We're not crying! Big boys don't cry." Olgilvie said quickly. "A-And anyhow, what about YOUR parents?" He asked. "They're always out traveling somewhere, and you cry because you miss them."_

_"I-I don't cry!" Amy said, pouting slightly._

_"Oh yeaaaah?" Olgilvie asked, sniggering._

_"Oh YEAH!"_

_"Oh YEAH?"_

_"Oh YEAH!"_

_"Oh YEAH?"_

_"Oh YEAH!"_

_"Oh YEAH?"_

_"Oh YEAH!"_

_The two of them always had such intelligent conversations. _

_"Anyhow, if you don't hurry up, you're gonna miss dinner." Amy said, running off to her house. _

_Soon the three of them were sitting with a brown haired manx in a red tank top with a skirt to match. She wore tennis shoes or red with yellow laces, and had a yellow tie to hold back her long brown hair into a ponytail. This long-eyelashed beauty was Tiara Boobowski, who had taken up the family business of Metallurgic work after her father, Gazebo Boobowski, had died, also of the epidemic that had claimed Aleena. _

_"C'mon, drink up. You'll grow big and strong." Tiara laughed, picking up some of the fried green tomatoes she'd cooked up for them along with some freshly-churned milk._

_"Ewwww." moaned. "I hate milk. It gives me gas." _

_"If you don't drink it, you'll get Vitamin D deficiency and stay short forever." Tiara commented, her light blue eyes glittering._

_"Who you callin' short, ya smelly old lady?"_

_"I'm only 13, you stinkin' brat!" Tiara snapped back. _

_ "They always have such intelligent conversations, don't they?" Miles asked Amy, laughing._

Olgilvie lit all of the candles that were situated around the room as Miles looked up at the enormous cross that was hanging from the top of the room, over the center of the circle. Life magic, or "_Bios_" as it was called, was supposed to be a gift from God itself, as was "_Zoe_", or Advanced Life Magic. Therefore it was wise to have the Big Guy upstairs in your corner.

"Alright. Let's begin the chant." Miles said after Olgilvie had lit all of the candles and stood by him.

"We call upon the Seven Spheres, The Seven Heavens, the Four Pillars of Light from Above to hear our prayer...Lord, thou hast been favorable unto thy land, thou has brought back..."

_We believed we could do it. It had been three years since our mother died...but we were sure we could do it. We had to hone our skills under a special teacher, but we were more than willing to go through Hell itself for our mother. _

"Show us thy mercy O Lord, and grant us thy salvation..."

_And now...now we would see our mother's smile again._

**"RIGHTEOUSNESS SHALL GO BEFORE HIM, AND SHALL SET US IN THE WAY OF HIS STEPS!"** The two of them cried out as brilliant white light filled the air, the temperature of the room rising high as streaks of gold and silver flames whirled around and around the circle that the rings had formed. The blood began to sparkle with a thousand different points of light as millions of colors began to blend together before our protagonist's eyes...

"YES!" Olgilvie cheered. "Miles, it's working! Hot diggity **damn**, it's **working**!"

But then something off happened. Something very, very off. The entire room turned the color of bloody, rusted metal as a loud siren rippled through the air. Miles blinked a few times. "Something's not right. This doesn't look at all-"

Then he felt something. Or rather, nothing. As in, he could feel nothing in his hand. He looked at it to see...it was disappearing! "HOOOOLY **SHIT**!" He screamed as it began to dissolve away, the bloody rust beginning to spread across his hands.

"What the-" Olgilvie gasped. Suddenly he felt his own hands begin to be covered in the dark, bloody, rusted metal gunk that was filling the room. It strung like somebody was pouring burning hot salt into an open wound on his body, and he screamed and screamed in pain...but then he turned and saw his brother's tails were being drenched in the metal, along with his head. He reached out.

Miles began to howl and wail. "BROTHER! BROTHER! _BRO_-"

Light. Beautiful white light filled Olgilvie's vision and he saw himself standing before an enormous door with beautiful, ornate designs on the front. There were dozens of languages written on the bottom that seemed to repeat the phrase "I am All, All are One". He scratched his head, blinking a few times. "...what was...what was I doing again?" He wondered.

**"Helloooooo."** A voice called out.

"EEE." The blue hedgehog squeaked out, turning his body around, away from the door...looking at what appeared to be some kind of...thing made out of water. It had deeply piercing green eyes and three sharp claws for "hands", with what appeared to be some kind of brain floating above it's eyes. It had a "horn" atop it's head and two small protrusions on either side. "...who are you?"

**"Ha-ha-ha-ha! Glad to hear you ask that up front, little dibbun."** It said, speaking not so much with a mouth as to with it's entire self. It was like a collective force was speaking as one, and the blue hedgehog could hear it in his head and in his heart. It wasn't a...THREATENING being. In fact, it actually seemed very gentle and compassionate, a kindness in it's green eyes radiating out. **"I'm what is known to you as Chaos**." It explained.

Olgilvie's eyes widened. "...Chaos?" He asked. "The force itself?"

**"I am more than that though." **It went on simply. **"I am also Order. I am the Universe. I am God. I am Truth, I am All, I am One. And..."**

It pointed at him with a single claw. **"I am You."**

SCHA-THWOOOOOM. The door opened and Olgilvie stiffened, turning around.

**"Oh little ****one. You were foolish. You did not know your own place. And I am sorry for what you're about to go through, but this is necessary."** Chaos went on as enormous rings wrapped around the young hedgehog's body, tying him up and tugging him into the black abyss that waited within the door as he screamed and screamed and-

The power. The sheer, amazing POWER. A million different bolts of light flashed by his eyes began to wrap around his legs. The young hedgehog's screaming turned into an awed "ohhhh" and suddenly...

He was back outside the door as Chaos sat there, arms folded. **"Well?"** He asked, tilting his head to the side.

"...that was...I...I feel so fast...I feel faster than the wind!" The blue hedgehog realized. "But we weren't wrong about the spell! Something was missing, but it's just ahead, I KNOW it! If one peek like that could get me what it got for my legs, then...then I gotta go back in!" He said, turning around and placing his hands on the door-

Then he realized it. His hands. They were blackened and burnt and the color of rusted, bloody metal.

**"That's equivalent exchange. You have the Mark from now on."** Chaos told him. **"You are cursed."  
**  
"...wait. Wait, hold on. What about my brother?!" Olgilvie demanded to know, turning around suddenly, eyes widening.

**"...I'm afraid the little one is soon to be reunited with your mother." **The watery being informed Olgilvie. **"As I said, I am sorry for what you've gone through, but it's necessary. You weren't to tread in this domain."**

The hedgehog felt tears spring to his eyes and he slammed his fist into the door. "NO!" he screamed. "You can't take him too! He's my only brother, he's all I've got left!" He sobbed tearfully. "..._please_...I'll give up my own body, let my arms or legs be torn, but please..._please_ just..._give him back._" Olgilvie wept, falling to his knees and sobbing into the white abyss that was the ground.

Chaos was silent for what seemed to be a long time, but then he spoke. **"...little one. Your sorrow moves me. You will get your brother back, but...there is another toll that must be taken."** He explained. **"I would have simply taken your hands in payment, but if you truly want him back, I'll have to take more."** He explained, walking over to the young hedgehog. He held one clawed hand up, wrapping it around Olgilvie's mouth as the hedgehog felt water pour out into his body. **"You'll never be able to use your arms or legs again...if these are removed from you." **

Instantly rings appeared around Olgilvie's wrists and knees, and he gasped at the feeling that filled him. It was like somebody was hammering something into him. He let out a cry of pain, and then...

Miles gasped as he shot up, eyes widening. What...what was going on? What was happening? What had happened to-

He could hear his brother's horrified gasps and he turned to see what Olgilvie was staring at...and he saw, with horror, a sight he would take to his grave. It was...was it even remotely a hedgehog? It was perhaps the most horrible, foul thing he'd ever seen. The entire body seemed to be covered in some sort of pasty-white membrane of flesh with red veins running through it, and it was twitching as it lay there, it's quills falling out onto the ground. It tried to reach out to them...

And then it let out a death rattle, dying as black blood oozed out from it's mouth, it's head twisting to the side.

"...I don't...get it..." Miles whispered. "...our technique was...flawless...wasn't it?" He asked, looking over at Olgilvie, eyes widening in horror.

"It WAS flawless. But...it was us. We...we were the ones who made the mistakes." Olgilvie muttered, shaking his head. "I'm sorry I couldn't bring you back properly." He moaned.

"What do you mean?" Miles asked.

Then he looked down at his hands and saw the change that had overtaken him. Saw fur that had been replaced with seamstresses-made quilt work. Saw a small little red gem atop an antennae sticking out of his head. Saw stubby arms and legs and only TWO tails...

"...what's...happened to me?" Miles whispered, eyes widening in horror.

"...that's the only thing I could bond your soul to." Olgilvie stated, whimpering quietly as he held his head in his rusted-over hands. "A doll I found of you, one we made from Metallurgy that summer, remember?" He asked.

"...Tiara." Miles whimpered. "We gotta find Tiara."

...

...

...

... "Yoooo. Still hangin' out in Central City, man?" An Armadillo asked his friend, sitting in a chair overlooking a report on a Metallurgist. He had a red shell on his black furred-body and yellow/tanned skin, with a pointed black nose and piercing blue eyes. He wore a pair of red sneakers with a single patch of white upon the top and white gloves on his hands.

"Unfortunately. Luckily I'll soon be able to go back to the Eastern Command Center at Radical Highway." His friend informed him. He was a hedgehog with black quills on his head, a red streak at the top of said quills, and a furry white patch on his chest. He had a tanned face and wore shoes that appeared to be installed with jets in them, being a mixture of red, black, yellow and white in color. He wore white gloves on his form...and rings. Rings over the gloves.

"All work and no play, huh?" Mighty the Armadillo inquired, sniggering slightly. "Hey Shadow, next time you're in Central, ask for that promotion I know you deserve."

"I just might." Shadow commented with a small smile.

"Well, if you're leavin', I gotta give this to you. The final report on that Flicky that went AWOL and turned itself into THIS." Mighty said, holding up the report, which was on a snazzy metal clipboard.

"Her name is....Gamma?" Shadow inquired. "That's hardly a male name." he mumbled, looking disturbed that somebody would turn themselves into this...this thing before him.

"That's the name she...HE'S... taken now. SERIOUS issues, I tell you." Mighty said, shaking his head. "Gamma apparently used something called "Yakin Shīru", which is practiced often in the Eastern country of Soleanna." Mighty went on.

"...Yakin Shīru..." Shadow repeated. "Interesting. Anyhow, I can't stay. I've got to investigate a one "Olgilvie Maurice". If he's good enough, he'll get into the rankings of State Metallurgist, like I am."

"Olgilvie? Heh, his parents musta HATED him to give him that name." Mighty remarked, sighing and shrugging. "Course, I changed MY name, so what have I got to complain about? How old is this Olgilvie?"

"Uh..." Shadow rubbed his chin. "They didn't say."

"Well, they'd better be careful. Entering the ranks can be Hell."

...

...

...

... "What...on...Earth..." Shadow gasped in horror as he looked at the disgusting, foul mess that had been left in the room.

A bat with white fur and a tan muzzle walked in behind him, wearing a pink, heart-shaped breastplate on her body and long white gloves, with tight-fitting black pants and white boots with heart-shaped pink tips to match the breastplate she wore. Her eyes were seafoam green and she had long, dainty eyelashes. "I checked in back and nothing's HOLY SHIT." She gasped, eyes widening at the bloody mess on the ground. "...what...what the Hell happened in here?"

""Where are they?...where ARE those fools?!" Shadow hissed, eyes narrowing.

Well, it didn't take them long to find the two brothers. Shadow sat at the end of a table in Tiara's home as Olgilvie sat in a wheelchair, his brother hovering in the air nearby, head hanging dejectedly.

"This IS a surprise. I'd heard there was a brilliant Metallurgist here in this town who had the talent to be a State Metallurgist...I didn't expect him to be so young, or to be smart enough or DUMB enough to..." Shadow trailed off, sipping some coffee. "He performed a bonding of the soul and though it was imperfect, used _Bios_. You're more than qualified to be a State Metallurgist. I should warn you though." The black hedgehog added, looking over at the sunken face of Olgilvie. "There are...requirements."

He took another sip of the coffee. "You'll be asked to become a soldier in the event of an emergency. But you will get special privileges, have access to great research. You may even be able to find a way to get your original forms-"

Tiara slammed the coffee mug into the table. "Listen here." She said softly, but with an edge. "I went in to check in on them after Tails managed to call me on the phone. I had to drag that poor boy into a wheelchair and wheel him over here through heavy rain. I saw what they made. What was there...was NOT Life Magic. It was the work of the DEVIL!" She snarled furiously, her eyes turning to slits. "You'd have them go through that Hell again?!?"

"Here you go." Amy said as she handed Rouge some tea, then sat down on a couch with her. "...um...Colonel..."

"Call me Rouge. Rouge the Bat. Nice to meetcha, kid." She said in a distinct Cajun accent, nodding at the pink hedgehog. "...somethin' up?" She asked, looking concernedly at the girl.

"Have you ever shot anyone?" Amy wanted to know.

"...yeah." She remarked, nodding.

"I hate soldiers." Amy muttered balefully. "My mom and dad were doctors who were always being shuffled off to war, and they got killed on the battlefield because stupid soldiers have to wage stupid wars for stupid old farts who sit in their chairs while young people die off."

"It ain't fair." Rouge admitted sadly, shaking her head.

"And now you're going to take away my best friends too." Amy added, turning on Rouge.

"No. They have to decide for themselves." Rouge insisted, making Amy blink in surprise. "It's up to them to decide whether they want to keep moving forward, or just stay standing still, frozen in the headlights." She spoke quietly, looking out a nearby window. _Like I had to..._

"I'm not forcing them to go through any Hell. I'm offering a possibility, not demanding." Shadow told Tiara. "It's up to you." He told the blue hedgehog as Olgilvie stared out into space. If you want to get your old forms back, you've got to wade through a river of mud and grime, but it'll be worth the payoff."

"Why did you become a solider?" Amy asked Rouge the Bat, looking down at the tea in her hands.

"...well..." Rouge tilted her head to the side slightly. "You see, there's somebody I have to protect."

"We're leaving." Shadow spoke up suddenly, leaving the room that had held the two brothers and Tiara. "C'mon, let's go."

"Well, it was nice to meetcha, kid." Rouge told the pink hedgehog.

"It's Amy." Amy told her. "...and it was nice to meet you too." She added, nodding at Rouge. "You have a very pretty name. I hope we meet again."

As Shadow and Rouge headed to their car and Shadow took the wheel, driving down the dirt road and off towards the city, Rouge turned to look at him. "That kid...is he coming? I didn't hear a peep out of him."

"He looked soulless at first...but then I saw a change in his eyes." Shadow told Rouge, a big, devilish smile crossing his face. "A flame began to grow in them..."

...

...

...

... "You're sure you won't regret this?" Tiara asked as she and Amy stood in front of Olgilvie, with Miles sitting in a chair nearby. A circle of rings had been placed around him, and the blue hedgehog was looking through a book of spells.

"I'm certain. I know what I'm doing." Olgilvie told them. "It's only a temporary solution, but it's needed until we get our original forms back."

"This body has no feeling. No substance." Miles mumbled, looking down at his stubby hands and legs. "...I want to be able to feel my tails again."

"...well, if you're sure." Tiara spoke softly as she slipped rings onto Miles's arms and legs. **"Two in the name of the Bonds of Friendship, as strong as Gravity's pull." **She called out dramatically, hands raised up. **"And two for Balance, as your Timeline is made clear, and your old form's appearance returned..."**

A brilliant light surrounded his body...and before their eyes, he changed. His form began to shift and blend, slowly returning to what it had been before...

Miles stood up, looking down at himself. "I...I feel like I'm wearing a mascot costume." He told them all. "But...but it looks just like how I feel inside." He said happily, tears brimming in his eyes.

"It's only a cosmetic change, remember." Tiara insisted.

"Yeah, and you need to be careful. Those rings on you are what allow you to keep your abilities, such as that form you have and...your "gift"." Amy told Olgilvie, who nodded firmly. "Just remember, I'll be here for you."

"Really?" Olgilvie asked, tilting his head to the side.

"I'm your friend." She said, putting a hand on his shoulder, making him blush slightly. Miles grinned and rubbed his chin thoughtfully as Olgilvie removed it. "H-hey! No touchy!"

"You two need to get moving." Tiara laughed, holding up some suitcases for Miles and Olgilvie. "You've got a date at Central City."

...

...

...

... "You're awfully young."A man with thick blue "pince-nez" glasses over his eyes that obscured what color lay behind them said.

He sat behind a large desk as several dozen other people sat at nearby tables. There were large flags draped all around with a symbol of a giant robotic egg with a mustache all around the room, symbols of the Eggman Autocracy. The man wore a red jacket with golden pockets on the front and goggles atop his head. He also had long black pants and had a thick, reddish/brown mustache that was very long and brushy, and sticking out from underneath a red and ruddy nose.

And he was fat. I'm talkin' "Free Willy", "You have your own gravitational pull", "Needs two train rides to get on his good side" fat.

Olgilvie shrugged. "I guess." He said. "Who are you?"

"Idiot! That's Dr. Eggman, Head of the Autocracy!" A guard whispered. Shadow sat at a nearby table, calmly watching with the other Metallurgists who were there to help judge the examination of this potential new State Metallurgist.

"Oh, well, in that case..."

"So what do you use for Metallurgic work? What kind of rings will you use to demonstrate your skill?" Dr. Eggman asked, looking interested.

"Oh, I don't need any." Olgilvie clapped his hands together as the rings on his arms and legs glowed. Suddenly his entire form changed before their eyes...his quills shooting up, his eyes becoming a burning red, his body sparkling with a thousand points of light as his fur became bright yellow.

"Amazing. And he didn't even need any sort of ring design." Shadow thought to himself.

"That's really something." Dr. Eggman admitted.

"You aint' seen nothin' YET!" Olgilvie roared out, rushing around the room, FLYING through the air as wind was whipped around and around. Everyone shielded their eyes from the furious storm that the now-yellow hedgehog was kicking up, and then, suddenly, he swept right towards the good doctor himself.

And stopped, his fist inches from the doctor's face as several others pointed guns at him, frowning darkly.

"Other people might take this opportunity to assassinate you. So from now on...I'd conduct the examinations in a DIFFERENT way." Olgilvie told the autocrat, lowering his fist and standing back, his fur returning to normal, quills falling down.

Dr. Eggman clapped slowly, nodding in approval. "Not bad at all! You're very skilled indeed. I think we have a place for you in the ranks of the State Metallurgists."

...

...

...

... "This is a sign that you are now an official State Metallurgist." Shadow explained, giving Olgilvie a small emerald necklace. It was a slightly dull green gem in color, but in his hands, it glowed slightly. "It's really only for show, but it will grant you the privileges and rights of a Metallurgist...heh." He smirked slightly as Olgilvie put the necklace on and he looked over a report from the Fuhrer. "Our lord, Dr. Eggman's, given you QUITE the interesting new title as a State Metallurgist."

"What?" Olgilvie asked.

"Here. Read it yourself, "Hog of the Military"." Shadow said, handing it over to the blue hedgehog as the teenager stood up from the couch he'd been sitting in at Shadow's main office in Radical Highway. The teen looked the report over.

"In the name of Dr. Ivo Robotnik of the Eggman Autocracy, I grant you the full power and privileges of being a State Metallurgist and bestow upon thee the title "Sonic"."

Sonic blinked a few times. "Sonic", eh?...I think I LIKE that." He admitted, nodding his head, a big, broad grin spreading across his face. "Wait'll Miles gets a load of this!"

* * *

OPENING CREDITS!

* * *

(Sonic looks out the window, turning his head as he sees the faint outline of his mother silhouetted against the moon, and Miles stands by his side.)

**_Kono omoi wo keshite shimau niwa Mada jinsei nagai desho?_**

**_Yarinokoshiteru koto Yarinaoshite mitai karaaaa!_**

(Now we are shown Sonic and Miles standing together as a burning fire consumes their home, and they watch the last of the timbers melt away as the title credits are shown...)

**SONIC: METAL BROTHERHOOD**

(A scene of Sonic clapping his hands together as burning yellow sparks rises into the air is seen)

**_Yume no tsuzuki Oikakete ita hazu nano ni,_**

**_Magarikunetta hosoi michi Hito ni tsumazuku..._**

(Now a scene of Miles, Sonic and Amy sitting together is shown, ending with Amy looking up at the moon, eyes twinkling)

**_Ano koro mitai ni tte Modoritai wakejanai no_**

**_Nakushite kita sora wo Sagashiteru_**

**_Wakattekuremasu you ni Gisei ni natta you na_**

**_Kanashii kao wa yamete yo!_**

(Now Shadow and Rouge are shown, looking over in the direction of the camera.)

**_Tsumi no saigo wa namida janai yo Zutto kurushiku shou tte kunda!_**

(Now a red echidna and an armadillo are shown standing together, looking at the camera too.)

**_Deguchi mienai kanjou meiru ni Dare wo matteru no?_**

(Now a scene of several silhouetted figures are displayed, with one turning it's head to show green eyes like those of an emerald.)

**_Shiroi no-to ni tsuzutta you ni Motto sunao ni hakidashitai yo!_**

(The figure steps forward, it's body utterly black, clenching it's fists as it and Sonic face down, and the two rush forward at each other.

**_(Nani kara Nogaretainda ... Genjitsu tte yatsu?)_**

(The two of them clash with each other as Sonic leaps into the air, holding his hands up as his body turns yellow. He slams into the ground, holding his hands forward as a ball of blue/white light forms)

**_Kanaeru tame ni Ikiterundatte Wasurechai sou na Yoru no manaka_**

**_Bunan ni nante Yatterarenai karaAAA ...Kaeru basho mo nai no!_**

(The beam of light shoots forward at the black figure, who bats it aside, then rushes forward as Sonic's body teems with bursts of power. Tiara, far away, lounging on a chair with Amy, lights a cigarette, seeing a sparkling light in the sky...a shooting star. She grins and makes a wish, seeing Sonic's face in her mind.)

**_Kono omoi wo keshite shimau niwa Mada jinsei nagai desho...(I'm on the way)_**

(Sonic and Miles now stand together as the rest of the cast is shown behind them, and the two clench their fists in front of each other, knocking them together.)

**_Natsukashiku naru Konna itami mo kangei jan!_**


	2. Sonic and Miles: Destiny Calls!

_The basic rule of all magic stems from one thing: the concept of Faith. In order to understand magic, you must be able to believe in it, pure and simple. _

_From thereon out, pure willpower and the elements around you are what bring out the best in Magic. The problem with magic is that you can only do so much with it and only if you follow it's rules. Life Magic is the most sacred of all, and for those who are not "chosen" to be given free rein over it, the consequences for attempting it..._

_Can leave eternal scars. _

**Episode One:**

**Sonic and Miles: Destiny Calls!**

**ソニックとマイル: ****運命を呼び出し！**

* * *

The thing was not even remotely human. It was not an animal. It was not a "person". At least...it didn't LOOK like one. What you saw was what you got...this was a machine. Looking at it, you thought "chicken". Its body was short and round, its head not much more than a flat panel on top. It had two moveable "eyes" that were more like camera lens, with a small laser situated on it's head. It's entire chest was painted red, and there was a headlight situated to the left of it's body. It's right arm was built up of hydraulic sections which formed a three-digited hand, and the other arm held a plasma cannon with a long, thick blue shaft.

And, like I said, you thought "chicken" because it's long, black legs bended backwards like a bird, with long black feet that had wheels on the back. It was clunky, had skinny legs...and, to top it off, at one point it had been a small bird...a GIRL bird of the "Flicky" type.

And now it had a new purpose in life. It sat within an alley at Central City as the last of it's denizens went to sleep. There were no more windows alit, only streetlamps and some traffic lights. The sky was oddly clear...peaceful, even. And a gentle, calming wind blew. But Gamma...the being that had once been a Flicky, felt it not. It could feel nothing anymore.

"It would be best to get this over with." It spoke in a voice that had a decidedly metal ring to it and was no longer remotely feminine. It held up it's hand, and a light blue ring sparkled, situated around it's wrist. "There is no more time I can waste. Eggman is wrong. Eggman must be destroyed."

It looked down the alley, gazing for a moment at the highway far off in the distance. Then it slammed it's hand into the ground, the light blue ring around it's wrist shining in the night.

"Gamma?" Shadow inquired, frowning slightly.

"Yes, the Flicky once named Nina has snuck into Central City." Dr. Eggman said, whacking a pointer stick at a large map of the city, pointing near the Library. "He was seen last at Central Library, but we think he KNOWS he was seen. Point is, he's going to make his move, whatever it is, quite soon. Shadow the Hedgehog, I am putting you in charge of capturing him."

"I'm honored, sir!" Shadow said, nodding his head.

"I'm sure you'll do perfectly, as always." Dr. Eggman told Shadow the Hedgehog, nodding his head firmly, his moustache bouncing. "By the way, the cocky one is here in Central City too. He WAS going to take the train, but apparently, all of THIS..." The dictatorial ruler of the Eggman Autocracy gestured at the map and the picture of Gamma which was clipped to the wall. "Made him change his mind."

"...the cocky one? You mean..." Shadow's eyes narrowed slightly, a small smile spreading.

"Yes. Sonic the Hedgehog, the State Metallurgist. **The Blue Blur** himself." Eggman agreed.

"Man, this stinks. We'd already bought our tickets to Knothole and now we have to buy all new ones cuz this jerk's makin' us miss the train." Sonic told his brother, Miles.

"Well, I guess it can't be helped." Miles said as they sat atop the roof of the library, looking down through the glass at the enormous T-Rex skeleton that was kept in the floor far, far below. "Let's just get going." He told his brother, looking down at his hands.

Even though an illusionary spell was set in place thanks to the rings on the fox's wrists and legs, there was still something clearly "wrong" to him. Looking at Miles, you had the faint feeling that you were seeing nothing more than an image on a screen, that if you turned your head, he'd turn into some monster. His form seemed to be a mirage.

"Fine by me." Sonic said, cracking his knuckles. "It's time to show them what Sonic the Hedgehog's capable of!"

...

...

...

... "There he goes!" Some guards yelled, chasing after Gamma as the robot raced through an alley. They stood in his way, holding up rifles. "Don't come any closer, or we'll shoot!" The wombats demanded.

"Hmm." Gamma muttered, holding his hand up. The icy blue ring atop his wrist twinkled and two huge trails of icicles raced out from his arms, knocking the wombats through the air. Gamma rushed out of the alley, turning and heading down the street into another alley, trying to-

"HOLD!" ANOTHER wombat guard. He had a gun right in Gamma's face, but Gamma grabbed ahold of the man's arm with his "normal" hand, and the icy blue ring around his wrist sparkled. The wombat gasped in horror as ice spread from his hand to his arm, and his partner gaped in fear, dropping the gun and falling on his butt in terror. He watched as his partner was turned into a popsicle...

And Gamma then cracked the man's arm off, making the rest of him fall down and shatter into a thousand pieces.

"No...no, please..." The other guard begged as Gamma's held up his blaster, the blue muzzle placing itself within his mouth. Gamma pulled the trigger as burning, boiling water filled the wombat's lungs...

There was a horrid, sizzling, popping sound and the wombat fell to the ground, now a darkened sort of fleshy husk, looking like popcorn that had been left too long in the microwave. "Boiling AND freezing. The harsher techniques of water. And I HATE water." A young voice called out.

"Know your enemy." Gamma remarked, watching calmly as a person stepped out of the shadows nearby to face him. "What I am doing is harsh. But one must be harsh and cruel sometimes to accomplish great things. That is how you change the world."

"Like HELL it is!" Sonic growled, his body suddenly glowing bright yellow, a red tint coming to his eyes. Gamma blinked.

"You didn't even make a ring design to create a transformation..."

"You don't have time to stop and admire!" A voice called from behind Gamma. Gamma barely dodged in time to avoid two tails which almost sliced his head clean off. He jumped backwards, spinning through the air, then landing deftly and holding up his blaster at the two, looking them over.

"...I can see through the illusion." He said, looking Tails over. "Your trick doesn't fool me. But that transformation...hmm. Could it be...YOU'RE Sonic the Hedgehog?" Gamma asked, turning to look at the teenage hedgehog.

"You got it in one, pal." Sonic said, nodding firmly as he and Tails stood together in battle positions.

"I'm his younger brother, Miles."

"...this blue RAT is the famous "Blue Blur" I've been hearing so much about? I thought you'd be...taller...stronger..." Gamma remarked, looking a bit unimpressed.

"OY!" Sonic snapped.

WHACKA-WHACKA-WHACKA! He delivered a series of harsh, supersonic punches to Gamma's face, knocking the robot through the air. Tails then caught him, and quickly slapped a pair of handcuffs on him from a pouch on the belt he wore. "Ugh." Gamma muttered. "To think YOU'RE the one they always talk about."

As it was, the guards were soon quick to show up. One of them bowed his head deeply as Sonic stood by Miles, the others leading Gamma away. "Thank you once again, great Metallurgist." He told Sonic.

"Hey, no sweat." Sonic insisted, grinning broadly. "It's what I do."

"...what smells like wet dog?" The guard asked.

"The whole ALLEY smells like wet dog." Miles told the wombat as the guards let Gamma out of the alley towards a large "Brinks-style" security car. "People need to work on cleaning the sewers, it's flooding out of the drains and into the alleys."

"...indeed. Hardly very PLEASANT means by which to escape...but still..." Gamma thought to himself.

If he could have, he would have grinned. He suddenly fell over and his hand grabbed ahold of the dirty sewer water pooling out from the nearby drain.

SCHA-FSSSSHHHH!

Steam filled the air and everyone began coughing madly. "CRAP! He's smart. REAL smart." Sonic muttered.

"I can't see him! Where'd he go?" One of the guards yelled out.

Eventually, the steam faded away. But when it did...

Gamma was gone. Miles folded his arms. "Shadow's gonna rub this in our faces, isn't he?"

...

...

...

... "You really, really underestimated him, didn't you?" Shadow asked, rubbing it in their faces as Sonic scowled.

"Okay, okay, I'm...SORRY." Sonic muttered out

"You shoulda been more careful. Anyhow, how much do you honestly know about this "Gamma"?" Shadow wanted Sonic and Miles to know as they sat in his office, with Rouge standing nearby.

"Only his name, really." Sonic told him.

Shadow held up a folder and tossed it to Sonic, who caught it in one hand and looked through the pictures of a Flicky who was working with several others alongside Metallurgists. "She was a former State Metallurgist until went AWOL and turned herself into THIS."

"Why would she do that?" Miles remarked, frowning slightly.

"Search me." Shadow told him before going on. "She took part in the Shanazaran Extermination Campaign. But then...after the war...she vanished. Furthermore, Nina, as she used to be called, began to send threatening messages to Central...usually with the heads of those sent to capture her...him...ugh." Shadow threw his hands in the air and walked over to a nearby window, placing his hands behind his back as he sighed.

"...we might have to kill him, huh?" Sonic asked quietly.

"Yes." Shadow admitted.

"I don't want to kill anyone." Sonic remarked.

"Suit yourself. All we care about is your performance." Shadow commented. "And by the way...heard any leads on how to get your bodies back?" He asked, a flicker of a smile passing over his face.

"OY!" Sonic snapped angrily. "I see that smirk, you faker!"

"What up?" A voice called out, opening the door. They turned to see an armadillo with a red shell and a pair of blue eyes walk in. "So where are the famous brothers I've been hearin'-AH." He turned to look at the teenagers. "You must be them. Hi." Mighty shook Miles's hand. "Miles Prower, correct? And the shorty over there must be y'all brother? He's the youngest Metallurgist in State History!"

Sonic growled angrily, then grinned proudly, feeling both honored AND insulted.

"Anyhow, you guys ain't got no place to stay, right? Luckily for you...I've got a place you can hang 'round." The armadillo told them, eyes glinting. His hand shot back behind his body, digging into something hidden in his shell and they gasped...

Then he pulled out a small picture of a pretty little armadillo and a very lovely looking female armadillo. "My wife, Willie Mae and my daughter, Dee Milo. Ain't they the cutest?" He asked happily, blushing with pride.

"Uh..."

FIVE MINUTES LATER...

"Ohhh, you just the cutest little thing I ever, every time I see you wanna just pick you up and SQUEEEEEZE ya!" Mighty said, hugging his daughter close to him.

"Daddy, careful, you're huggin' too tight." His 6-year-old daughter laughed, nuzzling his head as he hugged her. Sonic let out a long, deep sigh and Miles's face scrunched up slightly.

"These are our guests, Sonic the Hedgehog and Miles Prower." Mighty said, letting go of his daughter and introducing them to his wife, who took the sunglasses off her nose and shook their hands eagerly.

"Very nice to meet you." She said in a very cultured tone.

"Wow, you're so blue." The little one told Sonic. "...but wait." She looked Miles over. "How can you two be brothers?"

"Well, see, when a daddy and a mommy love each other very much-"

Miles slapped a hand over Sonic's mouth as Mighty shouted. "OKAY, I'M HUNGRY, LET'S EAT!" very loudly.

And dinner...well...

"...chiiiiliiiii..." Sonic whispered, eyes widening and growing starry as he looked down at the chili before him.

"This is my wife's special recipe." Mighty told Sonic as they sat around a table. There were several large cupboards with ornate-looking cups and china behind Mighty, and paintings of the family tree hanging on the wall. "You should come 'round on Mardi Gras. The gumbo is fantastic."

"Some paprika, a couple hits of Tabasco sauce and a bit of heart makes it the bee's knees." Willie Mae told Sonic as he eagerly dug into the Chili, with Miles sitting nearby.

"C'mon, eat up." Mighty told Miles, grinning. "It's delish."

"I'd like to, but..." The fox gulped slightly, looking embarrassed. "See, I'm in the middle of a strict training regiement and I don't want to ruin it by eating when I'm not supposed to be eating. I'm to cut out several meals a week and do lots of sit ups and the like."

"Too bad, it's DELICOUS." Sonic admitted.

"..." Miles hung his head, groaning deeply.

...

...

...

... "Heh-heh-heh. That's funny."

"What's funny about it?" Gamma inquired, eyes narrowing slightly as he looked into the dark and lonely cell of an all-too-familiar face. He folded his arms, almost frowning.

"The two of us team up? You, Nina of the Freezing Winds...and me, the Dynamite himself? I think that's really funny."

"...believe me...I'd rather not be asking you. I find you...distasteful, Bean." Gamma told the green-feathered duck. Bean the Dynamite had rings around his gloves too, but his hands were encased in metal "holds" that didn't allow for much breathing. His legs were kept apart and the tuft of green feathers atop his head was hanging limply as he looked Gamma over. The guards looking after Bean had been frozen alive...nobody could stop the two from leaving. Bean had sky blue eyes and a red scarf around his neck, and those eyes stared deep into Gamma.

"We'll destroy Eggman and make this autocracy crumble." Gamma offered.

"You must have seen the Hell that took place in Shanazar. You KNOW what Eggman made us all do. That's why you killed your fellow officers at the end of the campaign, correct?"

"...heh...heh-heh...HAHAHAHAHA!" Bean began to laugh maniacally. "DON'T misunderstand me, please! I ain't no sophisticated laureate of knowledge. I just WANTED them to die. That's all."

"...that's too bad. Really...too...bad." Gamma spoke softly, leaving the room and knocking over the frozen-alive guard that was placed near Bean's cell, locking the door behind him. One single guard was still left, pointing a gun at him, eyes wide with fear.

"...well. You escaped when the others didn't? Not bad." Gamma admitted. "I'll reward you with a swift end." He promised, hand snapping forward and grabbing the guard's neck.

A snap echoed through the air and Bean began to laugh...and laugh...and laugh.

...

...

...

... "Hello?"

"What's wrong, honey? Why can't you sleep?" Willie Mae asked her husband as she walked into the living room. Mighty was sitting alone by a lamp. "Lemme guess. It's about those two?"

"...State Metallurgists are called the lowest of low." Mighty commented quietly. "To think they'd take on that label at such a young age..." He sighed and smiled slightly. "They've got balls." He told his wife as she sat next to him, snuggling up to him.

"Brother? You awake?" Miles asked.

"Yep." Sonic said as he looked up from the blue-sheeted bed he was in, seeing his brother sit on the bed nearby.

"Was Willie Mae's chili really good?"

"Deeeelish." Sonic agreed.

"I'll add it to the list of things I'll want to eat when I get my old body back, then!" Miles said, pulling out a small notepad from his belt and writing furiously upon it.

"Yeah, good idea."

"...you know...I really wanna get our old bodies back soon." Miles murmured quietly.

"...I know." Sonic muttered, looking out the window at the moon as it hung low in the night sky.

Meanwhile, Gamma placed his hand upon the ground, his ringed wrist glowing. An icy blue seal suddenly shone the ground and he nodded firmly.

"One more...one more and Eggman is sent to the lowest pit of Cocytus with all the other traitors." Gamma murmured.

...

...

...

... "Listen well and good." Shadow said as he walked down the hallways of Central City's High Command Center, past large, open windows on his left and pictures of the various high-ranking officers to his right. His brow was furrowed in thought, his stride filled with a purpose. "Gamma snuck into Central last night. It's absolutely essential we find him and NOW. Close of all the roads. Look in every spot. And if you see him...shoot him **dead**. That's an order from Lord Eggman himself." Shadow told Rouge to relay to the other heads of the platoons at Central.

"And you?" She asked.

Shadow held up his hands and clenched them into fists, and the red rings on his wrists glowed brightly. "I'm goin' after him too." He whispered.

"MAN DOWN!" A guard yelled out.

"There's FIVE men down. All dead." Another sighed sadly as the medics examined the horribly slaughtered bodies of five guards.

"How awful to die in a steam explosion." Miles murmured as he stood by his brother in the street.

"He raised the temperature of the water in their body so high they shriveled up like prunes. And since our bodies are 70% water..."

"Let's keep looking." Miles said, and they headed down the street.

Gamma was hiding in another alley, hand raised up, about to place another seal. Suddenly he heard a sparkling, crackling sound and jumped to the side, barely dodging an attack.

"You dodged. I'm impressed. And I don't impress easily." A voice told him.

"...that tone. That voice. Knuckles?" Gamma inquired, stepping back as a figure emerged from out of the shadows, holding his fist up.

There stood before the robot a red echidna with dreadlocks that hung down low and thick. He had deep, purple eyes and wore red sneakers with yellow and green markings on them, with a v-shaped patch of white fur on his chest. He had a pair of white gloves on his hands with brown and grey rings wrapped around his wrists, symbols of Loyalty and Fortitude, and he slammed his fists together, showing off sharp, spiked knuckles that were part of the gloves he wore.

"Correct." Knuckles said. "It IS I, Knuckles the Echidna, proud guardian of the law, the **Stone Fist Metallurgist**!"

"Can't you pronounce "Law" in a fashion that DOESN'T sound like the right side of your jaw is welded shut?" Gamma muttered as he held up his blaster and fired off an icicle at Knuckles, who ducked his head to the side, avoiding it.

"Hmm. Not bad...but high-pressure water can cut through ANYTHING!" Gamma told him, his blue ring blazing. He flung his arm out and water surged forward at high speed, roaring like an ocean wave.

"It's powerless before my FISTS!" Knuckles roared out, holding his fist up as it glowed brightly with explosive energy.

SCHA-THWOOOOMBAH!

The water was sent spiraling all through the air, and Miles and Sonic saw splashes of it erupt from out of the alley along with an enormous cloud of dust. They raced into the alley, blocking off Gamma from getting out that way. "Oh! Knuckles!" Sonic called out.

"Hello, Sonic." Knuckles said amiably.

"You again?" Gamma asked, slightly annoyed. He suddenly whipped around, tossing a canister from his blaster through the air, and his blue ring flashed. The water coming out of the can turned into red-hot steam, and Miles quickly jumped forward, holding his ringed arms up.

"HAH!" He called out, whipping around and making his tails spiral around and around. The steam was blasted straight up, keeping it from hitting them, but Gamma rushed by them in the confusion.

"Thanks for the save, Miles!" Sonic told his brother as the two of them raced after Gamma with Knuckles. But they lost him once again within the city...and night was soon falling...

...

...

...

... "It's been a long time, hasn't it...Nina?" A voice spoke up as Gamma turned around after looking over the city from a rooftop. "I'm impressed you've managed to hide from us so long. No more."

"...Shadow the Hedgehog. **The Burning Metallurgist**." Gamma spoke, looking Shadow over as he stood near the edge of the warehouse he'd taken shelter at, with guards on either side of shadow, heavy pulse rifles aimed at the robot.

"It's too bad having to fight against a once noble warrior." Shadow said. "You defended our platoons bravely in the desert campaign."

"Don't play the War Buddy card." Gamma mumbled. "...I have no more "friends". Only regrets. There were only innocents and the monstrous dogs of the military that SLAUGHTERED them in that war!" Gamma hissed.

Shadow snapped his fingers and a burning, fiery blast shot forward. Gamma gasped, then jumped up. The blast instead struck...

A water pipe...at the top of the warehouse. Gamma grinned and clapped his hands. Instantly water shot out from the pipe that wound itself around the roof, rising into the air and soaking Shadow and the guards as a look of deep depression/fury covered the black hedgehog's face.

"Water beats fire." Gamma said calmly, racing along the roof. "So long!" He laughed, racing along an icy bridge to another roof, then leaping down into a dark alley.

He slunk through the alleys, reaching the spot he'd been at before, holding his hand up to put down another seal when-

"That's enough." Sonic called out sharply. Gamma turned his head to see the blue hedgehog standing there, eyes filled with conviction. "What're you up to, hanging around in these alleys?"

"And don't think about runnin'." Miles said, appearing at the other end of the alley. "There's no escaping us both! You've got no more canisters to throw."

"Heh-heh-heh." Gamma's laughter was fake and mechanical, a pathetic imitation of a happy act, which made it all the more terrifying. "I do not need...to escape." He told them. "...watch." He explained calmly. He slammed his fist down into the ground.

SHA-BOOOM. A burning, icy blue/white shot of light erupted up from the seal he formed in the ground, and dozens of other shots of light began to rise up into the air across the city.

"Oh no." Sonic gasped. "It's one big magic seal, set all around the city..."

"Impossible..." Miles whispered.

"Is he trying to create a-" Sonic began.

"Sonic!" Gamma spoke up firmly as the area around them began to become frosted over with ice and snow. "You took up the mantle of being a "Military Grunt", you who became a State Metallurgist at such a young age. Little one, don't you understand the horror that you serve?" He asked angrily, and Sonic could see pain and hurt behind those lenses, a deep sorrow and horrible rage that needed to be expressed.

"...what are you talking about?" Sonic asked quietly, head lowered, voice becoming almost a whisper.

"Don't you know what this country is trying to do?"

"Who cares?"

"YOU should! If you did, you'd support what I'm trying to do!" Gamma growled.

"SHUT UP!" Sonic roared angrily, shaking his fists, and suddenly Miles shot forward, kicking Gamma out of the alley and over Sonic's head. The two of them raced forward as people looked at the two Metallurgists facing down the robot. "Now start talking! I want to know how you're doing all this!"

"There's no use in me telling you." Gamma spoke, voice becoming dead, taking on a terrifying new tone. "...you will not be alive much longer." He held his hand up and to the side, and before their eyes enormous ice structures began to rise up through the roads of central from the pipe system below, taking Gamma up into the sky.

"I've got this!" Knuckles roared out. "Behold!" He cried, clenching his fists tightly. **"The powerful arts of the Knuckles clan!"**

His fist glowed bright white and he slammed it into the front of the oncoming icicle storm, stopping it. "HA-HA!" He laughed as a huge sprays of ice went flying everywhere, the assault halted.

Then it turned, going to the left. "What the?!" He exclaimed.

"Nice goin', KNUCKLEHEAD!!!" Sonic roared angrily. "You just made it switch directions!"

"Watch it, blue britches!" Knuckles snapped back, shaking his fist at Sonic as the enormous iciles shot through the city, tearing through dozens of roads and buildings, the cries of the wounded and dying filling the air.

"The ice walls are all connecting..."

"He's...oh my God...he's freezing everything over!" Miles realized. "Knuckles, those bolts of light that are shooting into the sky...you've got to destroy the seals below them!"

"And we'll go after the head honcho himself." Sonic said, jabbing his thumb at his chest.

"You got it." Knuckles told them, slamming his fist into his chest and running off as they headed in the direction Gamma had gone.

Gamma rode atop a large ice wall, looking firm and resolute as he folded his arms. "Dr. Eggman...you will be buried in a prison of deepest ice for all Eternity!" He roared out.

"You've gone far enough!" Sonic roared.

Gamma turned his head to see Sonic was being carried into the air by Miles, who's tails were spiraling around rapidly above his head, allowing him to fly. They whizzed through the air, landing atop the icy wave that Gamma was riding and stood there, looking at the robot.

"Back off!" Gamma snarled, holding his fists up as Sonic stood there. Then he noticed the rings on Sonic's legs. REALLY noticed them.

"...wait a minute. Rings on your legs...AND wrists?...and your brother's form...I see." Gamma's tone became almost diabolical. "You committed the unpardonable sin! You tried to perform Life Magic, didn't you? Was it "_Bios_"? Or maybe you tried to go for "_Zoe_" itself?" Gamma wanted to know as Sonic's green eyes turned to slits.

"You have no idea...the pain we went through..." Sonic muttered, clenching his fists. "Yes, we did commit a sin...but you...you've taken your first step into HELL!" He roared.

He suddenly shot forward, his body briefly glowing yellow and before Gamma could strike him, his blaster arm was struck...ripped in half. Then he was suddenly kicked off the icy flow and tumbled down, hitting the ground and moaning in pain. He desperately staggered to his feet, looking at his ripped-off arm...and saw his other wrist...now had a cracked ring.

"You have no idea...what this country...is up to..." Gamma murmured.  
"You can't do magic anymore." Sonic told him, eyes narrowing. "One ring's ripped off, the other cracked through."

"There's not much magic left, I admit...and no sources nearby." Gamma whispered darkly. "...save for the fact...that my body...needs some OIL to run!"

Gamma's hand ripped into his chest and he suddenly ripped it open slightly as a harsh spike of oily, reddish liquid rushed forward, and Sonic was struck in the shoulder. Miles pulled him away as Gamma ran off into an alley, oil dripping down from his body as he staggered off.

Meanwhile, Shadow approached one of the icy walls that was blocking a path to one of the seals as Rouge stepped away from him, having finished drying off his gloves with a hair-dryer. He snapped his fingers and an enormous burning blast of fire obliterated the icy wall. "Don't you underestimate my ultimate power!" He howled into the air.

"That's much better." Rouge said. "Now you can go back to only being useless on rainy days." She said cheerfully, making a small "tic" mark appear on Shadow's head.

Gamma stumbled through the alley as his life slowly drained away from him. But then...he saw HIM in his path.

"...Eggmaaaan..." Gamma murmured hatefully, eyes narrowing. "If I have to go to Hell for this, so be it...but I won't...die...until...YOU'RE dead." He snarled. "I don't care! I...DON'T..."

He held his fist up as the last vestiges of oil swirled around his hand and formed an enormous, dripping lance. "CAAAAARE!" He screamed, rushing forward at full speed as Eggman calmly lowered his goggles over his eyes.

SCWHIP.

Gamma blinked, standing still for a moment...and then his eyes turned dull, his body becoming totally grey as his form hit the ground. For a brief instant, the faint, final chirp of a bird was heard, and then...silence. Eggman calmly lowered the metal glove he wore, placing it back in his pocket and adjusting his goggles to the top of his head once again.

"Now!" Shadow called out, stepping to the side, allowing the last of the seals to be exposed.

"You got it!" Knuckles roared, as the true gift of the Knuckles Clan, the glory that was "The Pink" covered his entire body and he burned fiercely, jumping into the air and slamming his fist into the seal. The ground shattered, the seal obliterated as beautiful white sparkles twirled around the echidna's transformed, now pink-furred body.

And with that...the ice faded away. The darkness that had covered the city...gone.

Somewhere...a pair of dark eyes glinted with satisfaction.

...

...

...

... "Dr. Eggman." Sonic remarked, surprised to see the doctor standing near the corpse of Gamma as guards stood nearby, a sheet placed over the body.

"Glad to see you're alright." The doctor said, nodding his head firmly and smiling benignly. "In fact, both of you did excellent work. I was happy to help you out here. This will make an EXCELLENT story for my son."

The next morning, Shadow sneezed heavily into a kleenex as Mighty stood in the doorway, arms folded over his chest. "Caught a cold, huh? Careful, you'll spread the emo around."

"I do not angst THAT often." Shadow mumbled. "...stupid water magic soaking my fur and getting into my gloves, sonofa-"

"Eggman's the one who brought down Gamma. All Shadow did was help destroy the magic seal." Rogue said, standing by Shadow.

"Yes, but you're the one getting the credit. What, aren'tcha happy?" Mighty asked, rubbing the back of his head.

"...happy is a...strong word." Shadow muttered, sighing slightly.

"How are the brothers doing?" Mighty asked.

Indeed. How WERE they doing? Both were sitting together in the hospital wing, being treated for their wounds.

"Well, we never DID find out if he had a Chaos Emerald on him." Miles remarked, sighing slightly.

"I guess we'll just have to wait for the military to report on their examining of the body?" Sonic wanted to know.

"Yeah, I...wait...do you smell...grapes?" Miles asked, tilting his head to the side slightly.

They turned their heads around to see...Knuckles was there, holding onto a big plate and beaming happily. On the plate...was a buttload of fruit.

"I brought you fruit!" He said. "You should eat more fresh fruit. Does you loads of good! And one day..." He rubbed his chin. "You may acquire a "Pink" as fine as my family line has." He told the two of them.

"...uhhhhhhh..." They both remarked, sweat-dropping as Knuckles put down the fruit on a nearby table.

"I must say, you certainly put those tails of yours to good work." Knuckles added to Miles. "...in fact, I think I'm going to call you that from now on. Tails!" He decided, nodding his head firmly. "It's a good nickname, wouldn't you say?"

"This from a member of a species that are almost all named after body parts..." Sonic thought to himself, sighing. "Actually, considering the subject matter...this is STILL pretty creative for an echidna."

"I like it." Tails said, nodding his head and grinning. "Tails it is!"

"Where will you be headed next?" Knuckles wanted to know.

"We've got a train to catch." Sonic told him, holding up a finger. "Knothole awaits!"

...

...

...

... "So...Nina went and got herself offed, did she?" A voice spoke up, distinctly feminine, it's owner holding onto a phone. "Such a shame...she would have made a good sacrifice. So...what was it you wanted to know about? Oh, the Chaos Emerald we had?"

A response over the phone caused a big smile to spread over her face as she grinned broadly. "Yes, yes, we gave it to him." The woman whispered, nodding her head as thick pink hair fell around her light purple-furred face as a the temperature of the room rose, a figure with piercing green eyes entering the room. "Things are going to get very, very interesting in Knothole..." She informed her other associate as her closer "comrade" stepped near her, sucking on a chunk of meat attached to a bone, licking his scaly lips.

_"Very, very soon..."_

**Well, I'm having a LOT of fun writing this story. Please, feel free to review! It really makes my day knowing people have taken the time to look at my work and enjoy it. And if you have any suggestions as to how I can improve, be sure to tell me, it's the only way I'll learn. Just don't be really nitpicky or a total flamer. That's not helpful to me, nor does it make you look refined. **_  
_


	3. God Loves, Man Kills

_The basic rule of all magic stems from one thing: the concept of Faith. In order to understand magic, you must be able to believe in it, pure and simple. _

_From thereon out, pure willpower and the elements around you are what bring out the best in Magic. The problem with magic is that you can only do so much with it and only if you follow it's rules. Life Magic is the most sacred of all, and for those who are not "chosen" to be given free rein over it, the consequences for attempting it..._

_Can leave eternal scars. _

**Episode Two:**

**God Loves, Man Kills!**

神ながら、人間を愛し殺す!

* * *

It was going to be one of those days. They could just feel it. One of those days where somebody was going to make their life just a bit more difficult. Make their quest to get their old forms back to normal just a little bit more annoying. It didn't help that the preaching on the radio was rather...interesting.

"Children of mankind, all of you! Use your brains! You are capable of rational thought. We acknowledge the power of Magic is mighty. We do not deny Religion's force. We cannot respect tit's opinion, which forces men and women no choice but to believe in either one's abilities, denying our free will. We have the right to decide for ourselves! Furthermore, they will not even countenance an alternate point of view!" A rather annoying, grating voice announced over the radio that was sitting atop a tree limb.

Beneath it, a light purple-skinned walrus cooked up some freshly-grilled hamburgers at a grill. He had a pair of square-shaped glasses and a thick tuft of hair sticking out from his yellow baseball cap as he wore a bomber jacket. "Hey, quick question." The walrus inquired as he looked at his customers, who were sitting across from the little burger stand beneath the tree, plopped down at a picnic table.

"What?" Sonic asked.

"You guys, like, seem very familiar. Do I...know you?" The walrus inquired, raising a bushy eyebrow.

"No, I don't think we've met." Tails said, shaking his head as Sonic tried to concentrate on eating his chili dog. "Though I AM getting déjà vu being around this place. It feels so familiar."

"Yeah, anyhow, we'd best get going." Sonic told Tails as he licked his fingers free of chili from his messy eating. "Mmmaaaah!" He grinned. "Thanks for the chili dogs, dude. How much?" He asked.

"Ten copper rings." The walrus told them. Tails reached into the belt around his waist and pulled out a few copper rings, giving them to the walrus as he looked up at the radio. "...hmm. There's some static interference going on with that radio, isn't there?" He asked.

"Yeah, it keeps fluctuating on bad days. I'd get it fixed, but..." The walrus shrugged as a few other people approached the burger stand to get something to eat as well.

"We can fix it." Sonic said. "Bro, you wanna take care of this one?" He asked.

Tails nodded and flew up into the air on his two tails, making everyone gasp in surprise. He grabbed ahold of the radio and then landed deftly back upon the ground, holding it in his hands. He placed the radio on the ground, then pulled out several rings...ones of the element of Metal. He surrounded the radio with these rings then held one hand over it and snapped his fingers.

SHA-THWOOOOOM!

The radio was suddenly brightly polished, a beautiful shine given to it as all the static that had been giving a subtle undertone through the transmission was completely gone.

"How did you do that?" The walrus asked as some "Flickies", little birdy creatures like Nina, aka Gamma, looked the scene and the newly-fixed radio over.

"We're Metallurgists." Sonic explained, grinning broadly and showing off a cloud-pleasing, Public Relations grin.

"Never seen Metallurgy before." A nearby skunk admitted.

"Well maybe you've heard of the Dynamic Duo? We're called the Metal Brotherhood." Tails explained.

"Yes, yes, I know that name. And the elder is supposed to be called Sonic the Hedgehog. But...you're kind of..." The walrus gave him a look. "...I expected somebody less...fat."

A vein throbbed on Sonic's forehead as he waved his fists in the air, jumping up and down making everyone reel back. "I'M NOT FAT! DON'T CALL ME PLUMP! OR PORKY! OR TUBBY!"

"AAAA! I didn't say any of THAT!" The walrus groaned, covering his head.

"Anyhow, who's on the radio?" Sonic wanted to know, taking deep breaths and rubbing the space between his eyes as Tails adjusted the volume.

"We must remain committed to our cause against the vengeful, bloodthirsty God of the Old Testament. We must have hope that Science will overcome. We will eventually emerge victorious in the end. Let us not become deterred by intermittent defeats. Watch our ranks grow with every generation, and in the end we will prove that God is anything but gracious and loving and forgiving." The person on the radio went on.

"That's Doctor Snively Robotnik. He's a nephew of Dr. Ivo Robotnik himself."

"The Eggman himself? Koo-koo-kachoo?" Sonic wanted to know, raising a non-existent eyebrow as Tails put the radio back to where it was. The walrus nodded his head as the others eagerly agreed with enthusiastic nods and words of approval.

"He's amazing!"

"He appeared in town some years ago and began to instruct us all about the miracles Science and Technology can provide."

"Yes, with the power of Science, people can live far longer and better lives, and in time we'll be able to raise even the dead!"

"The works he performs are proof that Science is stronger than Faith!"

"Raise the dead". That was something that made Sonic's eyes narrow. He didn't like the sound of it. Tails allowed a brief flicker of a frown to cross his face, himself finding it...fishy. This was something worth seriously investigating.

...

...

...

...the next day, our two brothers watched as Dr. Snively Robotnik addressed the crowd from the steps of an enormous laboratory. The laboratory itself was situated at the far end of the city of Knothole, with an enormous central "dome" region for primary research and a great library to the far right. The main "body" of the structure which connected the two rather resembled metallic Pringles cans embedded in the ground.

The sun shone brightly off of them as the almost-totally bald 31-year-old short stuff waved at the crowd. He had a green outfit on with black boots and pants, white gloves on his frame, and a few measly, thin strands of hair sticking up at the top, with a nose that was so big you could have sunk the TITANIC with it.

He wore a small earring with a tiny little emerald in it, glowing green and bright. He nervously rubbed it and the back of his neck as the people called out for him to demonstrate a scientific miracle.

He then held up a vial filled with water and smiled. "Behold! No rings! No gestures..."

He held another vial to it that looked like concentrated sugar and poured it in. "Just...science." He exclaimed into the microphones he stood before. Before everyone's eyes, the water turned into a reddish liquid. He handed it to a nearby Flicky who took a sip.

"WINE!" She exclaimed in awe.

People cheered and clapped eagerly as Snively bowed deeply, with Sonic and Tails looking the scene over.

"So...what do you think?" Sonic asked him.

"Definitely not alchemy." Tails insisted, shaking his head.

"Yep. He's nothing but a snake-oil salesman. That's Metallurgy, pure and simple."

"Yes, but...he's ignoring the Laws of Magic. That's a big problem." Sonic murmured. "If you want to change water into wine like that you NEED the blessing of Magical power, or..."

"His help." Tails finished, nodding. "He's doing all this without using a ring...could it be?"

"Yes...I think...we've found it." Sonic whispered, eyes narrowing at the head of Snively...

...

...

...

... "Frere Jacques, Frere Jacques, doh-may-voo! Doh-may-voo!" A squirrel sang out. She had light brown skin, and tan fur upon her face, chest and stomach, Upon her head was a long and thick tuft of dark red bushy hair, and her sparkling azure eyes and matched the open vest she wore, and the knee-high boots upon her feet. She was cleaning up books at the library that had fallen off the shelves, placing them back in their proper place as she continued to sing to herself. She didn't really know the words, but the melody itself was merry enough. "Ding-dang-dong! Ding-dang-dong!"

She swept away from the non-fiction section and headed over to an enormous "Donations" wall that was set up. It listed the people who had donated money to help build the library. The larger the donation, the larger your name was on the display, which was shown off like a big tree, with the biggest donators at the "trunk" and "roots" on the bottom, and the "little people" at the top. Naturally, Dr. Snively Robotnik had contributed the most to Knothole Library.

She sighed to herself. "Soon." She thought out loud to herself. "Science has begun to replicate the miracles that IT talks about. Soon I'll see Khan again and-"

"Hey." A voice called out.

She turned around to see a blue hedgehog and an orange/yellow fox with two tails looking at her from down the hallway.

"So this is the library, huh? And all funded by science?" The hedgehog inquired.

"Are you interested in what Science can do for you?" The squirrel asked kindly, smiling at him.

"No, though I appreciate it. I, personally, am a very staunch believer in the power of the transubstantiation. And the Eucharist. Yep. A real, Bible-Beatin', book-burnin' Catholic, that's what I am!" The hedgehog laughed, sniggering madly. "Are you an atheist?"

"Actually, I'm a Muslim." She admitted. "I'm not allowed to eat Pork and the like, but I have had it a couple of times. Since you're Catholic, you're not allowed to do "that", right? But have you?"

"And if I told you "yes, a couple of times"?" The hedgehog asked, grinning.

"Better than Pork, isn't it?" The squirrel laughed. Both of them laughed at this little joke before Tails finally spoke up.

"I'm Miles Prower. But people call me "Tails"." The fox said, shaking the squirrel's hand. "And this is my brother, Olgilvie Maurice."

"But everyone calls me Sonic the Hedgehog." Sonic said, shaking the squirrel's hand vigorously.

For a moment, a flicker of recognition passed over the girl's face. She felt a sense of déjà vu, but shrugged it off. "I'm Sally Alicia Acorn. My friends call me Sal." She told them, smiling. "You really don't put much stock in Science, huh? Don't you know how much it can bring us?" She held one hand to her chest. "It's constantly paving the way for progress! Religion has brought us only war, science brings us only prosperity! You know, I'm sure there are some pills you could take to wean off that fat around your thighs." She added kindly.

"WHAAAAAAAAA?!?" Sonic screamed angrily, eyes burning with fire. Tails held him back as he clenched his fists tightly, waving them in the air.

"Calm down, calm down!" Tails insisted.

"Sorry, sorry." Sonic groaned. "Look...do you...really think that science can one day raise the dead?"

"Yep!" Sally remarked, nodding eagerly.

Sonic folded his arms and leaned against a wall, then placed a finger to his head, thinking back and reciting from memory. "I can understand how men should come, by observation and inference, to know a lot about the Universe they live in. If, on the other hand, I swallow the Scientific cosmology as a whole, then not only can I not fit in Christianity, but I cannot even fit in science. If minds are wholly dependent on brains, and brains on bio-chemistry, and bio chemistry (in the long run) on the meaningless flux of the atoms, I cannot understand how the thoughts of those minds should have any more significance than the sound of the wind in the trees. And this is, to me, the final test."

Sally blinked a few times, puzzled.

"This is how I distinguish dreaming and waking. When I am awake I can, in some degree, account for and study my dream. The dragon that pursued my last night can be fitted into my waking world. I know that there are such things as dreams: I know that I had eaten an indigestible dinner: I know that a man of my reading my be expected to dream of dragons. But while in the nightmare I could not have fitted in my waking experience. The waking world is judged more real because it can thus contain the dreaming world: the dreaming world is judged less real because it cannot contain the waking one. For the same reason I am certain that in passing from the scientific standpoint to the theological, I have passed from dream to waking."

Sally frowned. She got the point. "That's no way to think!" She proclaimed. "Relying on Faith alone is dumb! Idiotic! Doesn't your own book tell you to be as wise as serpents? You can't do that if you're clinging to blind faith!"

"You misunderstand. Christian theology can fit into science, art, morality and even the sub-Christian religious ways. The scientific point of view cannot fit in any of these things. Not even science itself." Sonic told her.

"You must think you're pretty clever, hotshot." Sally remarked, rolling her eyes.

"There's never, ever been an example of a successful human transmutation. And we recognize Science's flaws as Metallurgists. Our kind seek to bring Faith and Science together in a "holy matrimony". Science need not be God's enemy. Science lays bare the creative principles of the world, but it doesn't ever explain "Why", and doesn't always explain "How". But Faith CAN."

"Who do you think you are?" Sally asked, shaking her head. "Prophets proclaiming the new Gospel or something?"

Sonic shrugged as Miles looked down and away, a sorrowful look flashing across his face. "Well, it's like that story about that magician. He tried to fly through the air and prove he had the power of God, but ended up crashing to the ground by God's own hand..."

Sally rubbed her head, confused.

"Buuuut...anyhow..." Sonic stood up. "If you really think that Dr. Snively's work can do so much benefit for people, might we be able to speak with him? From one scientist to another?"

"Oh, he'd be happy to do see you." Sally remarked. "I was just on my way to go visit him. I often help him in his laboratory."

Meanwhile, Snively was speaking with an armored guard who had a dome-like dark blue helmet over his body to match his armored form. "So who's this person you saw today?"

"I recognized them from the news. They're the ones who helped stop that Metallurgist rogue, Gamma. Sonic the Hedgehog and Miles Prower." The guard informed Snively as he sat in his office, looking out the window at the enormous machinery in his laboratory.

"WHAT?" Snively gasped, his hairs standing on end. "Th-the **Blue Blur** himself?" He gasped.

"Correct, sir." The guard informed him, nodding gravely. "What shall we do? That Hog of the Military is no doubt up to no good."

"If he meets with me, he might find out...hmm." Snively frowned, then grinned darkly. "Let us take care of them. For the Greater Good."

"The Greater Good." The guards in the office repeated electronically.

...

...

...

...soon, Sonic, Sally and Tails were led into an enormous open area, walking along a metallic floor as they passed capsule after capsule filled with various creatures half-made. Some bubbles moved up occasionally past the forms, whilst enormous tubes connected to the top and back of the tubes, control consoles stationed by each one to "release" them.

"I'm glad that the doctor could find time to squeeze us in. I promise this won't take long." Sonic remarked cheerily, noticing out of the corner of his eye one of the guards was closing...and locking...the enormous door behind them.

"Yes, we should end this right away." The head guard admitted, and he grinned underneath his dome-shaped helmet, holding one arm up to his chest as a small, circular shaft popped out at the top of his "hand"...a plasma buster embedded within his arm...and ready to be used.

And use it he did. He whirled around and pointed at Tails's head, putting the gun to the fox's forehead. "Like THIS!" He roared.

Sally screamed in horror and Sonic gasped in surprise. "What the HELL do you think you're freakin' doing, you motherfucker?!?" Sally screamed. "What kinda crazy-ass-"

"The doctor told us what to do. This is for the Greater Good." The guard said as other guards pointed their weapons at them.

"Oh really? Well, like you said, let's end this right...AWAY!"

Sonic's leg rings glowed brightly and before the other guards could do anything they were knocked through the air, Sonic's fist raised high up as they hit the wall, and Tails's signature tails swept through the air, striking the head guard in the...well, the head...and knocking HIM down. "And THAT was all she wrote!" Sonic called out.

"Well, well." Snively emerged from the top of the ceiling, descending on a hovering platform, arms folded, looking magnanimous. "Welcome to my laboratory. Hmm. It seems that some people have no regard for manners." He admitted, looking the scene over. "I apologize for the rudeness of my guards."

"You're floatin' up on high and talkin' down to us in more ways than one." Sonic told Snively. "How about comin' down to Earth and talkin' on OUR level, you faker?"

"Faker? Don't confuse my work with any of that "Hocus Pocus" that you Metallurgists seem to enjoy dabbling in. I don't do the "Dark Arts"." Snively commented calmly, rubbing his head, his earring twinkling.

"I admit, I was confused. How could you do Metallurgy without the use of Rings? And we didn't "sense" that "Blessed" air about you like the users of _Bios _or _Zoe_ have, those who were given power to give Life in ways never thought possible before." Tails admitted, rubbing his chin.

"See? I told you, it's not Metal-" Dr. Snively Robotnik began, wagging a finger in the air.

"And then it hit us." Miles spoke up, his sky-blue eyes flashing. "**A CHAOS EMERALD**."

The finger stopped wagging.

"Like...maybe...it's that gaudy earring you've got on?" Sonic commented quietly, grinning darkly.

Snivley's outward smile didn't change. But his aura did. A new miasma of fury and sinister intent suddenly covered his body. And then he grinned cruelly. "True..."

He flicked the earring. "A Chaos Emerald." He intoned. "Each emerald is composed of positive and negative charged materials which make them an everlasting source of energy...it transforms one's very thoughts into power!"

"How looooong we've been lookin' for that..." Sonic whispered, shaking his head. "Soooo long."

"Well, what's with that look in your eye?" Snively remarked. "Wanting to grab ahold of this precious little gift I was given? I think not, you stinkin' little brat."

Something whizzed through the air and the squirrel caught it. "Sally, would you be so kind as to shoot that fox and teach the hedgehog a lesson?" Snively asked as she held onto a small Luger.

Sally looked at the gun in her hand, eyes widening. "Now hold on, that's just...I can't..."

"Remember when you lost your boyfriend MK last year? I saved you from despair." Snively asked. "Now I'm asking for you to save my life just as I intend to give your boyfriend his back." He said calmly, eyes glinting. "Don't you want him back?" He whispered.

Sally raised the gun up into the air, tears brimming in her eyes. "I'm...I'm sorry..." She muttered sadly. "I...I just want to see him again..."

"You can't trust him. He's a swindling crook." Sonic told her.

"You're WRONG!" She screamed, firing the gun. It whizzed through the air and cut through Tails's head. Sally instantly felt a horrid chill go through her. She hadn't wanted to hurt the fox at all, but she didn't want to lose her boyfriend. They'd been days away from getting married and when he came back, she could finally-

She still felt awful as she looked at the still form of the little fox. Death wasn't that easy on the eyes. Paling body, blood oozing out and-

...there was no blood.

_There was no blood._

Snivley and Sally's eyes widened as Tails stood up, his body flickering before their eyes for a moment revealing something that was not remotely 'real' but more like...a doll...a giant, lifelike doll with his face had been in their vision for a few seconds. "What on Earth?" Sally gasped.

"It's just what it looks like." Sonic remarked, shrugging. "He's a doll. It sucks, pure and simple."

"Foul thing! Unnatural freak! I'll get rid of you yet!" Snivley raised a remote into the air and pressed it. Instantly a large doorway nearby opened up, and a form hovered through the air, armor glinting. It was dark green with red "eyes" and claw-like black hands, and very much resembled a robotic trash can of sorts. He had large wheels on his hulky frame, and a small headlight on his shoulder.

"Meet E-1000 "Alpha", or Zero, as I call him." Snivley remarked. "Now why don't you start off by_ firin' your laz0r_? BWWAAAAAH!" Snivley laughed, throwing his head back and cackling manically.

Zero flexed it's arms as it shot into the air on a jetpack, an enormous cannon appearing at it's "mouth" area as Sally jumped far away with Tails, Sonic standing his ground, frowning slightly.

KRA-KROOOOOM!

"You made this with that Chaos Emerald, didn'tcha?" Sonic asked calmly. He then grinned and leapt into the air, his body glowing blue. "SONIC WIND!" He roared out.

THA-WOOOSH! His body let out a blast of wind energy and shot into the beam, scattering it and breaking the laser from within. Zero fell to the ground, spluttering and gasping in surprise.

"Crush him with your hands then!" Snivley roared.

Zero's eyes glinted and he rushed forward, claws grabbing Sonic's arms and holding him tightly in the air...

Sonic's eyes turned red.

Lightning crackled and before Sally and Snivley's eyes, his entire body flashed yellow, and with that single flash and a burst of power, Zero was sent flying back into chunks of scrap iron, letting out an almost human scream as Sonic stood there on the floor of the laboratory, blue lightning crackling around his form, his quills rising up slightly.

"Take a good, long look, Sal." Sonic whispered. "Look at the rings upon my wrists and knees. **The chains of a sinner who trespassed in God's domain!**"

Sally thought back to Sonic's earlier words in the library. _"Well, it's like that story about that magician. He tried to fly through the air and prove he had the power of God, but ended up crashing to the ground by God's own hand..." _

"A brother that's just a doll...and those rings upon your wrists and knees...the POWER it brings. This means..." Snivley smirked. "You committed the **Sin**, didn't you? You tried to bring somebody dead back to life, correct?"

"This is what happens when you try to bring people back to life without His blessing." Miles murmured. "Sally, do you honestly want to become like either of us?"

"You've got some nerve judging us considering you're a phony who's passing off Metallurgic miracles as "science"!" Sonic roared up at Snivley. "Hand it over or you're gonna get HURT!"

"You got close to God before. This time, I'm sending you to God for good!" Snivley laughed, his earring glowing as he clapped his hands and an enormous, bulging-shafted machine gun popped into his arms. Cackling, he unloaded it at Miles and Sonic, but Sonic raced around the room, holding Tails in his arms.

"Nice try, baldy, but if we met St. Peter at the Gate, he'd make us wait because he HATES our GUTS!" Sonic sniggered.

"You little..." Snivley hissed as he began to create a larger, bigger gun whilst Tails, Sally and Sonic broke down the door, rushing off in different directions, Tails and Sally heading to the roof with Sonic heading towards the direction of Snivley's office, thanking Providence that there were little signs advertising both the locations of the office, the laboratory, and, most importantly, the toilets.

...

...

...

...Tails began to make a circle of rings as he stood at the top of an enormous lookout point above the laboratory. He was setting up a "Sting" operation with his brother.

"...back there." Sally murmured as she stood near Tails. "What he said...was it true? You tried to do "that"?"

"Yes. We just...we wanted to see our mom's smile again, but...but the thing we brought back, it...it wasn't even remotely..." His eyes became dark as he lowered his head, covering his face with one hand. "...it wasn't our mom. It was a...a thing. Like I became because of the screwed up spell." He told her. "Tampering with life, it...it's not something everyone should do. Anyone could do it, but they definitely shouldn't. We weren't meant to have that power. It was only Chaos's mercy that allowed my soul to return and gave my brother the chance to keep looking for a way to gain my original body back."

"And that's why you need the Chaos Emerald?" Sally inquired.

"Souls will linger on in a body for some time...or they'll stay behind on Earth as ghosts. But...even people who are masters of life magic can't bring back a body from the other side. They have enough problems bringing back a recently dead soul. A body...MY original form...that's something different. Only one of the 7 Chaos Emeralds could bring it back and restore my brother's natural use of his limbs to normal." Tails went on. "They are said to be able to do anything."

"...and you don't want me walking this path." Sally realized quietly.

"It's a horrible, terrible thing. We wouldn't wish this pain we've been through on **anyone**." Tails insisted. "We might even lose our lives if we use the Chaos Emerald for such a thing, who knows?"

"I...I..." Sally looked out over the town, biting her lip.

Meanwhile, Sonic was facing down Snivley in his office, calmly folding his arms. "You little brat! Get off that desk! It cost me almost as much as my first year of college tuition!" Snivley whined.

"Look, let's speak frankly here. I wanna know the secrets of that Chaos Emerald. You can tell them to me, ooooor..." He spread his arms out. "I can just call in the army to investigate."

"Grraaaaahhhh!" Snivley groaned, tugging at his hair. "You'd bargain with me?! Grrr..." He slammed the door shut. "I oughta...hrrrrm..."

"Why do you even need people listening to you about the "benefits of science"? Why waste time with stuff like that if you can just create your own mansion, tons of cash..." Sonic inquired, grinning slightly.

"Well, I'll explain in terms you could understand." Snivley commented. "I'm here, respected, admired, worshiped even, because these people need something steadfast to believe in. They want to trust their logic, believe in the power of their minds and not put faith in talking dead guys! And I'll provide it for them...and in return..." He grinned. "What will be one city will turn into a movement of people...nay, sheep-le...willing to follow my every word!"

"World domination? That's your goal?" Sonic asked.

"Of COURSE!" Snivley proclaimed, grinning to himself, steepling his fingers. "With the power of the Chaos Emerald in my grasp, I shall rip the whole damn world apart, and if you're lucky, I'll let you share the leftovers."

"...ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-haaaaa!" Sonic held his hand over his head. "God, you're such a big, fat faker. And a stupid one too." Sonic turned to point at the wall as what had appeared to be a simple mirror rose up, revealing...many, many cameras.

Miles, standing atop the lookout point, calmly standing near a big-screen TV. It, along with hundreds of others that had spontaneously turned to one channel all over the city, had shown the entire speech Snivley had given Sonic. Mouths were wide open. Gasps echoed through the city.

"**FART KNOCKER!"** A little girl screeched, throwing an ice cream cone at the surprised, stunned face of Snivley.

"You little RAT!" He screamed, blanching. "How many people?!?"

"Every...single...one." Sonic informed him. "We've even got it broadcasting on Youtube." Sonic added, holding up a small laptop. "Here, want me to rewind to my favorite part? See, as you say "I'll let you share the leftovers", your eyes bulge a bit. That's pretty funny looking, huh?" Sonic asked, grinning from ear to ear.

**SFX: Waa-waa-waaaaaa!**

"You...you...YOOOOOOU!!!" Snivley roared furiously.

"Hoo boy. Watch, he's gonna say something evil and then start shooting at Sonic." Tails told Sally.

"I'm not giving up yet!" Snivley snarled angrily, the emerald earring he had glowing brightly. "As long as I have this, I can make "miracles" over and over!" He said, holding up his hands as he glowed brightly. Sonic readied himself, putting the laptop away and getting into a fighting pose when...

It happened. Something absolutely horrifying. His body was covered with bulging red veins, his eyes becoming even tinier than before, the space around them turning dark black, his screams filling the air as he went into spasms on the ground, blood bursting out of his mouth.

"A...rebound..." Sonic gasped in horror as the emerald shattered into pieces.

"How?!? HOOOOW?!? They said...I could take over everything with it...they said it was the real deal..." Snivley's voice whined as his body gained sickly, bloody patches which soon began to cover his entire form.

"...you...little...PRICK!" Sonic growled. "I really thought you had the real deal!" He snarled, holding up his fist as it glowed. Snivley was suddenly blown out the window through the air and his teeth clacked in his head as Sonic rose up into the air above him, his body glowing yellow, and light rising around him as if he wore a halo, blue streaks of power spreading out from him like wings...

**"FEEL THE IRON BLOW OF GOD'S WRATH!"** Sonic screamed.

"OH MY GOD-" Snivley gasped.

KRUDDA-KROOOOOOOM!

Snivley was punched clear through the ground below, landing in the deep, dark sewers beneath the city as Sonic landed on his feet, dusting himself off, blowing off his fists. "And THAT'S...a whuppin'." He remarked as Tails walked towards him, Sally standing nearby, gazing at Sonic. As he looked up at her, he saw...

"...Sally." He spoke sadly. "Please, the worst thing a guy can do is make a girl cry." He told her, gently walking over to her and holding her chin up.

"What...what are we gonna do now?" She asked. "...what am I supposed to believe in?...how will I know what to trust?" She wanted to know.

"...people need to find the right answer on their own. All we can do is give you the options left to you. It's your choice what you pick." Sonic told her. "Just keep moving forward. You're a strong girl." He said, patting her on the shoulder as he walked off with Tails. "You can make it."

...

...

...

... "You LIED to me." Snivley hissed at the eggplant-colored hedgehog before him, who stood by a black and orange tegu lizard. The hedgehog wore dress with a short dark blue skirt and a red sleeveless top, two sections separated by a band of gold that formed a pointed shape at the front with a small circle in the center. She wore blue gloves going up to her elbows, and red stockings underneath her dark blue boots, with the "toe" sections a matching red. "You said I could take over the whole country with it!"

"I DID say something like that, didn't I?" The female mused, rubbing her chin as her lizard friend stood nearby. He had a breathing apparatus on his back, with a mask that was covering his face. Well, was normally covering his face. Right now the black and orange lizard was munching on one of Zero's eyes, chewing it like it was a gumball as he sat by the wreckage of the robot. "Well, we lied. We just wanted you to cause some trouble. You couldn't even do THAT, couldja?" She remarked, shaking her head. "Now we need to start all over!"

"Can I eat him, Sonia?" The lizard asked in a slightly childish tone.

"No, Biolizard, he'd give you indigestion, the balding fart." Sonia remarked, waving a finger in the air.

"Oooooooh!" Snivley hissed, his wounded, near-broken body rippling with anger. "Stop mocking me! You're ALL mocking my ambitions! You, that goddamn little hog-"

Sonia held up her gloved hand and snapped her fingers. "ZIP IT." She hissed.

SCHWAAAAARK! Snivley's mouth melted away into his face, and he gasped in horror, feeling the empty space where his mouth would have been, eyes widening in horror.

"I guess our Father's gonna be _maaaaaaad_." Sonia sighed as the Biolizard advanced, licking it's lips. She looked at it, then shrugged. "Well, he IS no longer of use. Alright, fine, just...don't make too much noise. After all, **he** won't." Sonia commented calmly, a sinister smile passing over her lips as the Biolizard pinned Snivley down.

The drooling maw opened wide.

**As I said before, feel free to review. Don't be scared or anything. :D**


	4. Suffer the Little Children

_The basic rule of all magic stems from one thing: the concept of Faith. In order to understand magic, you must be able to believe in it, pure and simple. _

_From thereon out, pure willpower and the elements around you are what bring out the best in Magic. The problem with magic is that you can only do so much with it and only if you follow it's rules. Life Magic is the most sacred of all, and for those who are not "chosen" to be given free rein over it, the consequences for attempting it..._

_Can leave eternal scars._

**Episode Three:**

**Suffer the Little Children!**

**苦しんでいる小さな子供**

* * *

Sonic and Tails sat together, thinking back to yesterday. They'd been so sure...so close to returning to their original bodies...Sonic gaining the use of his limbs once more...Tails gaining his old body back. Not needing to hide the truth...

They'd been so damn close...

"I don't feel like staying here any longer." Tails murmured to his brother.

"Me neither." Sonic mumbled. "...let's head back to the train station."

...

...

...

...a week after that, a solitary figure walked along the road, heading for his home. He'd just had a nice dinner of Ramen at a local diner and had not really listened to the reports on the "strange sightings of an unusual being" that had been preoccupying his fellow officers. Pir'Oth Ix, the **Imperator**, wasn't afraid of anyone or anything.

True, the moon's solitary rays were being clouded over by a darkening sky. True, the streets seemed quiet. Too quiet. And true, there was an odd smell in the-

Odd smell. He stood still, sniffing the air. Ix wore a purple robe with thick, gold rings around his wrist with smaller rings on his fingers representing the forces of Earth and Metal. He wore a similar golden band around his neck and had two long and thick quills shooting out from the top of his head, with an even bigger one in the center of these two. There were glowing, light blue insignias on the ends of his robe that were of Angelic script, which read "Upon This Rock".

He would NEED holy help, considering the being he was facing down right now. It stood at the end of the street, red eyes glowing, and spoke in an unmistakably mechanical voice. It was hard to see his full form in the shadows that the houses of Central City cast, but that voice...

Definitely a robot of some sort.

"Pir'Oth Ix of the Nocturnus Platoon? The Imperator himself?" The robot asked. It spoke it's words in a solemn tone, not mocking, not cruel, simply asking a simple question and asking it with serious intent.

"Yes." Ix remarked, his white eyes narrowing intently. "Who wants to know?" He asked, tilting his head to the side slightly, one eyebrow raised.

"You Metallurgists who turned away from the True Path of progress...you hypocrites shall die." The robot spoke, raising up sharp, metallic claws and creating a fist.

"Sooooo." Ix allowed a smirk to appear on his features. "YOU'RE the one targeting State Metallurgists, eh? Well...I've news for you. You picked the wrong person to annoy on this particular night! I'm in no mood..." He held up his ringed fingers and brought them together as brown and light grey energy swirled around him, slamming into the ground before him. "To have my time wasted..."

THWOOOM! Enormous cannons appeared before him, gleaming in the moonlight, fresh and new. "By YOU" Ix roared.

BUDDA-BUDDA-BUDDA-BUDDA! The cannons shot out over and over again, firing off thick, burning blasts that lit up the alley, but the robot was faster than he appeared, rushing around on the ground, propelled by jets placed upon the back of his frame. Now he came into full view, a stocky red upper body with thick shoulders and a silver stripe going down the center of his chest. He had grooved red flaps on a "belt" around his waist, and "boot" like feet with black treads. There was a symbol on his shoulders...

But that wasn't what got Ix's attention. What got it was that this robot was getting too damn close!

"How fast you are! But it's not good enough!" The white-furred echidna roared. THWOOM!

The robot's approach was suddenly halted as enormous metallic blocks rose up around him, and he was encased within, trapped completely. Clapping his hands free of imaginary dust, Ix smirked proudly. "That wasn't so difficult. I'll have to ask Shadow why he's been having so much trouble dealing with this one." He thought to himself. Whistling, he walked around the box, heading to the end and knocking on it. "Comfortable in there?" He laughed.

CRUCHA-CRACK!

The back end was blown open and almost skeletal claws gripped around his head.

"Die." It said calmly.

Ix didn't even have time to scream as dark power surged through the claw tips, and blood splurted out from his body, ripping through flesh. His form was tossed to the ground as the robot's small, circular red eyes narrowed down at his fresh kill. That had almost been too easy. Almost.

...

...

...

... "Another one gone?" Knuckles asked, folding his arms as the squad gently lifted the body of Pir'Oth Ix onto a stretcher so he could be taken away and given a proper autopsy and burial.

"Yes, it's "that person" again." Mighty muttered, narrowing his dark eyes. "Knuckles, you need to watch yourself. It's startin' to get real unsafe for guys like you."

"I appreciate the concern, honest and true." Knuckles told Mighty with a slight smile before he sighed deeply. "Such HATE...you can feel it lingering on within this street..."

It was then that a car arrived on the scene, a long, black limo. Stepping out of it...Eggman himself. He looked the scene over, adjusting his glasses.

Everyone quickly saluted. "Your majesty!" Mighty remarked. "Wh-what brings you here?" He inquired. "If you don't mind us asking sir?"

"I wanted to see this for my own two eyes. Mighty...tell me...you're the man personally in charge of this case, correct?" Eggman asked, looking under the sheet at the body and frowning slightly, a look of disgust passing over his face.

"Yes, sir." Mighty agreed.

"If you need any extra personnel, you need only ask." Dr. Eggman told him, nodding in Mighty's direction as they took the stretcher away. "We need to crack down hard..." He whispered.

...

...

...

...the next morning, Rouge and the others had to deal with the most unpleasant and annoying part of being employed by the government...the paperwork.

"Oh, paperwork. If only it would all just..._blow away_." Rouge muttered. "Here you go, Vector." She remarked, handing a stack of papers to a green-scalled, thick-toothed alligator wearing headphones. He wore black armbands with yellow stripes upon them, and a gold chain around his neck, with yellow and purple socks and vermillion eyes. He took the headphones off his "ear" regions for a second, sighing as he looked them over.

"Why does Shadow let all the paperwork pile up? It was bad enough we had to fill out those release forms so Ix's family could get his body back...now this?" Vector muttered. "Hey Ray, gimme a hand with these."

"I've got both hands full, buddy ol' pal." Ray the Flying Squirrel told him shaking his head. Ray had golden yellow skin with a dark tan skin muzzle and torso, with bright blue eyes and a small tufted tip tapered hair at the top of the back of his head. He had a shiny black nose and blue tennis shoes embraced with light blue white accents, and metal soles. As usual, he wore his favorite light blue collar and blue jacket with light blue cuffs to match his eyes. "Who's this?" He inquired, looking down at some papers that had a photograph of a weasel on them.

"This is the person that our dear **Metal Brotherhood** found out." A robot informed Ray. He was a silver robot, clunky in appearance with red oven mitts for hands and who looked something like a coffee kettle. He had round, dark grey shoulders and long dark grey slabs for feet. "His name was Nack, I think. He was lining his own pockets using his position of power, apparently. Nobody's heard of where he's gone off to NOW though."

"Bomb, this reminds me. Is that radio fixed?" Rouge asked a small, red and black circular thing with little yellow gloved hands. It was trying to re-work wires on a big, black and red radio, and though he, like Bomb, had no face...there was unmistakable annoyance in his body language.

"This frickin' reciever's shot tah hell, missy! I've gota gets me some new parts. It SUCKS!" Bomb proclaimed, whacking the thing with his tiny fists.

"Riiiiight."

Tap!

THWOOOM! The radio was fixed with a single tap, now made shiny and new, and Bomb looked up appreciatively at Tails. "Thank you kindly!" He told the fox.

"No worries." Tails insisted as he and Sonic smiled at them all.

"Good to see you back. Shadow's expecting you." Rouge informed them, pointing into the next room. Sonic rolled his eyes. Hoo boy.

"Well first of all, credit where credit's due." Shadow said, folding his hands. "The Knothole Incident means our forces can make things right, and put an end to the havoc and disarray over in that city. Thanks to you, the people can recover from the lies they were distracted by."

"Well we didn't' do it for you."

"So tell me..." Shadow's eyes narrowed slightly. "This scientist. He did what he did using a Chaos Emerald?"

"Yes, but apparently it was a fake one. All the same, the power it had...it was incredible." Sonic admitted, leaning back in the couch he and Tails were sitting on. Tails nervously held a hand up and Shadow sighed.

"Don't stand on ceremony, Miles." Shadow told him softly. "Go ahead."

"Thank you." Tails said, taking off the rings around his wrists and legs, transforming back into his dollish form. He sighed, head bowing slightly, the little red crystal at the top of his antennae bouncing a bit. Being in his "other form" for so long was exhausting on his spirit...it made him feel sleepy, mournful, depressed...he needed "breaks".

Shadow didn't mind this at all. He looked back over at Sonic. "So what else did he make with the chaos emerald besides transforming water into wine and other such things?"

"His body became altered, but that was by the rebound...hmm." Sonic rubbed his chin.

Suddenly Tails looked up at his brother. "You know, we DID see creatures in tubes at the laboratory. He might have made them with the emerald. The creation of living creatures...that's something we should look into. It might help us on our journey to know more about "Life Magic". We should see a specialist."

"Smart idea. It may take years to find a Chaos Emerald, but as for a Life Magic user, well, we've got quite a good one right here in Central. Our Autocrat's own grandfather, Gerald Robotnik." Shadow told them, taking out a file from his desk and passing it to them. They looked into it, seeing a face very much like Dr. Eggman's, only older, more wrinkly, hair that should have been reddish/orange grey and white.

"Hmm. His Metallurgist title is "**Spear of Knowledge**"?" Sonic asked.

"Yes. He was the one to create the first Chao." Shadow informed them, nodding his head. "A considerable feat, especially since he insists he wasn't "Blessed" like most Life magic users."

The Chao. These were creations generated by a mixture of Life Magic and Chaos Energy. They had come into being years upon years ago and were now common pets. How a Chao developed depended on how you treated it, what sort of person you were. People with a "good" nature would find their Chao becoming angelic in appearance. People with a " bad" nature created demonic-looking Chao. The gender of Chao could get confusing...very much so.

On the plus side, it was easy to tell their moods, they usually made excellent pets, and were very, very cute.

"Wait, YOU? Want to help US?" Sonic asked, raising an imaginary eyebrow. He then jumped up and pointed accusingly at Shadow. "**Who are you and what have you done with Shadow**?"

"HA-HA." Shadow frowned darkly. "Believe me, I'd normally rather have a buffalo take a diarrhea dump into my ear than be eternally indebted to **you**, but you **DID** do Central a large favor...did ME a favor. This will make us even." He waved his hand in the air. "The doctor created a Chao that could actually speak 10 years ago, amazing everyone at his performance review."

Sonic looked intrigued. "Really? It spoke? No foolin'?"

"And it wasn't just gibberish?" Tails asked, standing up from the couch.

"Yes. Dr. Eggman said his grandfather had done everyone proud. He performed Life Magic without actually being "chosen" by Him. But apparently all that it said was..." Shadow's eyes became darkened. "...all it said was "I want to die"."

Tails and Sonic were silent, a horrifying chill running through their bodies. "...what happened to it?" Tails asked quietly.

"Soon after it...it stuck it's own tongue into an electrical socket and fried itself." Shadow murmured. "But if you're still interested in meeting with him..."

"Any lead on creating new life is a good lead." Sonic decided. "Tails, let's get going."

...

...

...

...the house of Gerald Robotnik towered up slightly, made of beautiful red bricks covering the outside with a large double door. There was a big brass doorbell to the side of the doors, and a pretty row of flowers on either side of the walkway leading to the front door, all of them red and yellow and orange, looking like the embers of a nursery fire. Freshly-cut grass was surrounding the house on all sides, with flower-filled bushes beneath the large windows. And, from behind said bush, IT had come.

A very large dragon had just landed atop of them. It was a female with peach-orange hair and teal/green scales. It had golden, nubby talons and "claws", and a large black nose ring that was resting in front of Sonic...whom it had just jumped onto. It grinned at him, his body pinned beneath her dark peach-colored chest and stomach. "Heya!" The dragoness remarked cheerily.

"...oooowwwwwww..." Sonic moaned. "My stomach...my head...my stomach AND my head!"

"Ooh, look, Dad!" A human called out happily, opening up the door. Shadow smiled warmly at her as he stood by Tails, nodding firmly at the teenage girl. She was a blond-haired, blue-eyed human with a pretty-looking blue dress and pair of shoes to match. She had a smooth and delicate face, and spoke with a very lilting, kindly voice. "Visitors!"

"I'm very sorry about Dulcy. She gets...excited." Dr. Gerald Robotnik said, stepping out from the doorway with his daughter as Dulcy got off of Sonic.

"Maria." Shadow said, bowing deeply. He took her hand and kissed it like a gentleman, making her giggle. "Lovely as ever."

As they headed inside the house, Tails noticed that many dishes had piled up in the sink and an enormous amount of books, dusty and old, were scattered in the rooms. "I'm sorry. It's the anniversary of when my wife left me 10 years ago. I always get all...sentimental." He murmured, pouring some cups of coffee for them all to enjoy as he, Maria and Dulcy sat at one end of the table. "This is Maria, my daughter." He explained. "Shadow was gracious enough to be there for her on days when I couldn't. Dulcy here happens to my wife's old friend and she too has helped Maria with loneliness." Gerald said, nodding at the dragon.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, sir." Tails said.

"I've heard much about the both of you. Especially you, Sonic. It's an honor to meet the **Blue Blur** himself." Gerald insisted.

"Sonic here is interested in learning more about creating new life." Shadow informed Gerald, gesturing at Sonic.

"Ah, that's understandable. I've not got the "aura" of a "Chosen one", have I?" Gerald laughed.

Sonic and Tails looked at him and sensed him with their hearts, allowing their spirit to reach out. No, no, they could sense no Divine spark within him. How had he performed Life Magic if he'd not been gifted with it from the Almighty? If he wasn't a "Chosen", then...how?

"Well we'd love to hear more about your research." Sonic told him.

"I'd be happy to share with you what I have learned. However...if I am to show you what is up MY sleeve, you need to show me what is up YOURS. If you come with us, we will share with you whatever good things the Lord gives us, is that not the saying?" Gerald inquired, his pince-nez glasses glinting.

Sonic blinked a few times, then nodded. "Alright. Tails?" He turned to his brother.

Tails nodded, and removed the rings around his wrist and legs...

...

...

...

... "So you lost your mom **and** your dad never showed up?" Dulcy asked sadly. "I'm sorry, mister."

"The things you have been through must have been very trying." Gerald said sympathetically.

Tails and Sonic said nothing. They simply stared back solemnly.

"I don't know if my research will be of any use, but if you truly do wish to see my laboratory, then follow me." He said, leading them into another room as Dulcy and Maria walked off to go play together outside. The doctor led them down a hallway into a large hall filled with bookshelves and various tubes, a big desk located by a nearby window and near said desk, a computer.

All around the room were various cages filled to the brim with eggs.

"They're not quite fully grown. I've no idea when they WILL grow." Prof. Gerald admitted. "I'm popularly regarded as the number one authority on Chao, but the truth is that this sort of thing I do is tricky. It's hard to pull off Life Magic when you've not got the blessing of..."

"The Big Guy Upstairs?" Sonic finished, looking one of the eggs over.

"Indeed." Gerald nodded. Tails and Sonic immediately looked at one shelf and both took books off the shelves, reading through them. "Well, let me know when you're finished."

They said nothing. Shadow shrugged. "Excuse them. When they get really focused on something, it's like they lose sight of the rest of the world."

"Such focus." Dr. Gerald remarked, adjusting his pince-nez glasses.

...

...

...

...about three hours later, Tails drew the attention of Maria, who nervously blushed as she approached him. "What are you reading?" She wanted to know.

"Oh. This is about the Jewish traditions regarding Life Magic." Tails said, holding the dark blue book up.

"Can I...see your doll form again?" Maria asked nervously.

Tails smiled, taking off the rings on his wrists and knees.

Sonic's concentration was broken as he saw Maria sweeping by him, holding Tails up into the air, and squeezing him like a big teddy bear. "Oh. How embarrassing." Sonic remarked.

"Speak for yourself! I think it's cuuuute!" Tails proclaimed. "You're just jealous nobody's hugging YOU."

"I can fix that!" Dulcy announced, appearing from behind Sonic and picking him up in a bear hug.

"GAAAAH! Testicles...rising...can't...breath...can't...BREATH!" Sonic gasped out.

"Oh, chill out, brother dear." Tails insisted.

"Yeah, "brother dear", Dulcy just wants to play." Maria insisted.

"Play, huh?" Sonic asked, as Ducly let go. "In the legends of old, brave knights defeated dragons with courage and valor. So..."

He held up his fist as a burning aura of flame seemed to rise up from him, and he chased after Ducly, who ran off, waving her arms above her head. "Fight me if you dare! I shall oppose you with all my body and SOOOOUUULLLLL!" Sonic roared.

"Oy gevalt." Maria wisecracked, holding up the book on Jewish traditions, making Tails laugh.

...

...

...

... "Hey there, chief." Ray said, looking down at Sonic, who was once again pinned beneath Ducly, who grinned up at the flying squirrel. "...need a hand there?"

"I don't know what hurts more. My pride...or my fractured tibia." Sonic mumbled as Dr. Gerald stood by Ray.

"Did you find anything helpful?" Dr. Gerald asked.

Sonic moaned, a sweatdrop appearing on his head. "It's fine. You can come back tomorrow." Gerald insisted kindly, holding up a hand.

"Will I see you again tomorrow then?" Maria asked Tails.

"Absolutely!" Tails promised, shaking Maria's hand eagerly.

And so, Maria waved eagerly goodbye to them as they headed down the walkway to Ray's parked car outside the house. "Come back soon, "brother dear"!" Maria called out as Gerald waved as well.

"Oh, almost forgot!" Ray remarked. "Prof. Gerald, your grandson wanted to remind you that the 10 year review will be conducted in two weeks."

"...right, right." Gerald nodded solemnly. "I remember...I remember."

As they headed away from the house, Maria turned to her father. "Dad, what's that "ten year review" thing again?"

"Well, we State Metallurgists have to report in the results of our research every ten years. I need to do very well on this next review or I won't be a State Metallurgist anymore." He informed his daughter sadly.

"You'll do well, I KNOW you will! You're always working hard in the laboratory whenever you can!" Maria insisted, hugging her daddy tightly.

"I know, but if they don't like what I give them, there's nothing I can do." Gerald murmured, his pince-nez glasses glinting.

..._nothing I can do_...

...

...

...

...the next day, Tails was speaking to Maria again about her mother as Sonic leaned against a wall, reading a book examining Ancient Medieval Life Magic Techniques. "So, your mother left ten years ago?" The fox asked Maria gently. "That must have been hard on you." He said, taking her hand.

"It was..." Maria admitted. "I was so young then. I didn't understand why she'd gone back to her parent's home from what Daddy told me, but I guess it had to do with his research. I suppose..." She sighed. "I suppose Mom felt that he was playing God when he ought not to have been. Yeah, our life before Daddy created the first talking Chao was kinda harsh...we didn't have as much money as we do now...and our house was falling apart. But things changed! They got better! Much better!"

"Do you ever get lonely?" Sonic asked suddenly.

"No, Daddy's always good to me, and Dulcy and I are best of friends!" She insisted, hugging Dulcy tightly as the dragon patted Maria on the head.

"C'mon, tell the whole truth." Dulcy said kindly. "You're leaving out a few things."

"...can't hid anything from the lie detector race, can I?" Maria asked quietly, nervously biting her lip. "I guess...I do get a BIT lonely. Especially when Daddy gets nervous about his research. He tries so hard to do so well..."

Old memories flared up in Tails and Sonic. Memories of looking into a study at a vaguely human creature who continued to read books by candlelight, not noticing his sons...

"...you know what?" Sonic asked, shutting his book tightly. "I'm bored. Let's get some exercise. Dragon!" He pointed at the dragon. "Let's go outside and get some exercise!"

"Okay, brother dear!" Maria laughed.

"You ASKED for it!" Dulcy decided.

Soon Sonic was running all around the yard, with Tails sitting in a nearby tree, watching as Maria sat atop of Dulcy and chased the blue hedgehog around. As the day wore on, all of them played a nice game of cards.

Sonic looked over at Dulcy's tail after he'd just dealt her a hand, seeing it squirm around. "...I fold." He decided.

"Heeyyyyy." Dulcy remarked. "Are you cheating?" She asked him, raising a non-existent eyebrow.

"Leap!" Tails exclaimed as he leapt over Maria's back.

"Frog!" Maria exclaimed as she leapt over TAILS.

"Leap!"

"Frog!"

"Leap!"

Indeed, it was a good day...and turned quickly into a good week. It was moments like these that made Sonic and Tails forget all about their quest and made them think "Hey...maybe life like this isn't so bad after all". It was one of those blissful periods of time you never-ever wanted to end.

And unfortunately...moments like these did end. And usually in a terrible, terrible way.

These blissful few weeks...were no exception.

...

...

...

...it had begun to rain a little. Just a drizzle. Shaking the water off their forms, Sonic and Tails entered Gerald's house. It seemed...quiet. Oddly so.

"Mariaaaa?" Tails called out. "Ducly? Gerald? Hellooooo?"

"Strange. Where are they?" Sonic mused.

They headed through the darkened, light-deprived house, continuing to call out. But at long last, they found him in his laboratory, kneeling by something. "Doctor, what's up with all the lights?" Sonic asked.

"I'm sorry, I've just been so preoccupied. Look...my finished product!" He stood up and gestured to the side at a Chao nearby. Like most normal Chao it had a light blue body the color of the sky, with yellow-tinted stubby hands and feet, but it's eyes were deeply intense, a brilliant bright blue, and it had a large pair of majestic wings, with golden locks at the top of it's head, far down to its shoulders. "**A Chao that understands speech**!" He informed them, his pince-nez glasses glinting in the little light of the laboratory.

"W-woaaaah...for real?" Sonic asked as Tails's eyes widened.

"Indeed! Watch!" The doctor said, looking as giddy as a kid at Christmas. "This person is named Sonic. Can you say that?"

"Son...ic." The Chao spoke in a distinctly feminine timbre.

"Good, good!" The doctor laughed, clapping his hands.

"AMAZING!" Sonic gasped, eyes widening.

"This is revolutionary!" Tails admitted, scratching his head.

"This really saved my neck! I needn't worry about my research funding for a good, long time." The doctor told Tails, looking very proud of his work as he adjusted his glasses.

"Sonic...Sonic..." The Chao repeated, looking at Sonic with it's bright blue eyes.

"_Wooooow_..." Sonic whispered.

"Sonic...Sonic..." The Chao went on. "_Broth...er...dear..._"

His blood turned to icewater in his veins. He drew in a harsh breath. It was as if the entire temperature of the room had suddenly dropped twenty degrees. Sonic's green eyes turned to horrified slits as a sickening feeling began to crawl its way out of the pit of his stomach.

"...Dr. Gerald? When did you make the first Chao that could speak normally?" He asked, gently holding the little Chao's cheek.

"Ten years ago." The doctor commented.

"And when did your wife leave?" Sonic murmured.

"...that was ten years ago as well."

"One more question..."

Sonic's head whipped towards Dr. Gerald, eyes flashing with fury.** "WHERE DID MARIA AND DULCY GO TO?"** He hissed.

"...I **hate** perceptive brats like you." Dr. Gerald muttered.

THWAM! Sonic slammed the doctor into the wall as Tails gasped in horror at the scene. "You SONOFABITCH! How COULD you? Ten years ago it was your wife! _This time you made a Chao out of your own daughter and her friend!_" He snarled.

Tails's eyes widened in horror as his body began to shake, looking down at the silently-staring Chao that gazed sadly up at him.

"Isn't that right, you **monster**? Because there's only so much you can do with simple animals! When you use sentient creatures, it's SO much better, **RIGHT?**" Sonic roared.

"Why are you getting so mad?" Dr. Gerald inquired, raising an eyebrow. "Scientific progress is the result of hundreds of experiments on humans...why are you making such a fuss? I could have been a ground-breaking, world-bettering force with a slight criminal past, just like Christianity, Islam and Judaism...would that have been so wrong?"

"You sick FUCK!" Sonic roared. "You think you're going to get away with this? You've been fucking around with people's LIVES!"

"People's LIVES? People's **LIVES**?" Dr. Gerald remarked, a frightening glint coming to his eyes as he sneered. "Look at yourself, **Blue Blur!** AND Your **brother**! That was also the result of "playing around with people's lives", wasn't it?"

THWUCKA-CHUNK! A good punch knocked the doctor's glasses off, exposing his dark brown eyes, but he just laughed again as Sonic lifted him back up. "You don't think you're any different from me, do you?"

"SHUT UP!" Sonic roared.

"You saw a chance in front of you and you just HAD to take it! And you didn't care if it was a Sin! That only made the chance all the more juicy! Forbidden fruit, Sonic...it's always the sweetest, isn't it?" Gerald laughed.

**"SHUT UUUUP!"** Sonic screamed, slamming his fist back into Gerald's face. "Metallurgists can't...they can't **do that**...I'm not like...YOOOOOU!" He wailed, slamming his fist into Gerald's face over and over again. "I'm not, I'm NOT, I'M **NOT**, I'M **NOT**, I'M-"

"SONIC!" Tails screamed, grabbing Sonic's arm. "Any more and you'll...you'll kill him." He murmured.

Sonic growled furiously, a red glint coming to his eyes, but then...he felt a pair of tiny, stubby arms pat him on the leg, and he looked down, eyes widening and filling with tears at the sight of a crying little Chao.

"Dad...dy...daddy...hurt...no...more. Please...no..." The Chao that had once been two innocents begged.

"...Dulcy...Maria..." Sonic whispered. "...I..."

"Pretty words don't get nothin' done..." Gerald mumbled.

"...sir...you say one more word...I'M THE ONE WHO SNAPS." Tails hissed, his eyes becoming red, a snarl lurking beneath his tone as a sinister hardness filled his voice, shutting Gerald up.

Then he gently knelt down and rubbed the Chao's head, his tone becoming mournful. "I'm sorry. We...we don't know how to change you back. We can't even change **ourselves** back...and you're fused together...if we tried to break you apart, it might...it..." The fox-turned-into-a-doll bit his lip, wishing he could cry as well. "I'm so sorry." Tails sobbed, weeping dry tears. "_I'm so sorry_."

"Can...we...play now?" It asked softly. "...let's...go play...I wanna...play..."

Sonic looked back at her, clenching his fists, then held his head in his hands.

"**GOOOOOOOOOOD!**" He wailed.

...

...

...

... "If there was ever the "Work of the Devil" in this world...that was it." Rouge murmured. The forces of Central had placed Gerald under arrest in his home until the necessary papers to take him to trial would be put into place. "How sickening."

"Sickening, yes, but we can't...keep focusing on it." Shadow murmured, shaking his head as he walked down the steps of Central City's main headquarters, towards the drenched forms of Sonic and Tails, who were sitting together. "Besides, we need to be honest. Metallurgists of the State are called on to do many things...sometimes even kill. Looking at it from that perspective, Gerald's actions aren't too different from our own. We sometimes have to dirty OUR hands."

"That's an adult's reasoning. Sonic and Tails are still children at heart." Rouge told Shadow.

"Maybe so, but they need to grow up. They'll face scum just as vile as Gerald was, maybe even worse. Isn't that right, Blue Blur?" Shadow asked.

"...shut your face." Sonic muttered.

"How long are you going to keep moping over something so small?" Shadow asked.

"Something...so..._small_?" Sonic murmured. "It's true. I've been called a military tool. Tails and I will accept being insulted and jeered as monsters or devils. But we're not devils. We're not God...and no matter how much power I wield, I can never do enough...no matter how FAST I run...I can't..."

He stood up and screamed. "I COULDN'T EVEN SAVE ONE LITTLE GIRL! I couldn't...stop this...I'm just a stupid...stupid..." He hung his head, gritting his teeth, the tears mixing with the rainwater as it poured down.

"...get some sleep." Shadow said softly. "...you need it. Both of you."

...

...

...

.. "I just don't get it." Gerald mumbled as he sat in a chair across from the Chao that had been Dulcy and Maria. "Why does nobody understand? Why?" He asked the two of them as lightning split the sky outside, the rain continuing to make white noise against the windowpane.

The Chao didn't answer. But something else spoke up. Appearing in the doorway was a red, yellow and black bulky robot with skeletal-like claws spoke up, a Greek symbol on its shoulders. It was the Greek letter "Omega"...

"Are you Gerald Robotnik? The Spear of Knowledge himself?" The robot asked, looking intently at Gerald, who stood up, eyes widening in fear.

"H-how did...how did you get in here?" The doctor asked as the robot advanced towards him. "There were military guards posted outside..." He whispered, stepping back in horror.

"You Metallurgists who turned away from the True Path of progress..." The robot whispered.

His clawed hand shot out and grabbed ahold of Gerald's face. "You hypocrites shall **die**."

The dark magic rushed through the claw tips and Gerald died letting out a cut-short wail, his frail old body finally collapsing to the ground, a mix of broken bones and blood that was pooling out. The little Chao nearby gazed at the scene, eyes widening, and ran over to the body, shaking it, tears falling from tiny blue eyes.

"Noooo...Daddy...please...please get up..._nooooo_..." It murmured.

"...how awful." The robot whispered, genuine pity filling it's normally soulless red eyes. It gently knelt down by the little Chao, picking it up in the metallic claws and delicately wiping one tear away with a claw. "Look at what he's done to you. There's no way to change you back to normal. At least...I can make sure you don't die in pain."

He held the little Chao to his chest, one clawed hand carefully reaching around the little one's neck...

"I promise, I shall remember you." He informed it solemnly.

**KRA-CRACK.**


	5. Greedy like the Weaselly Wolf

_The basic rule of all magic stems from one thing: the concept of Faith. In order to understand magic, you must be able to believe in it, pure and simple. _

_From thereon out, pure willpower and the elements around you are what bring out the best in Magic. The problem with magic is that you can only do so much with it and only if you follow it's rules. Life Magic is the most sacred of all, and for those who are not "chosen" to be given free rein over it, the consequences for attempting it..._

_Can leave eternal scars._

**Episode Four:**

**Greedy like the Weasel/Wolf!**

**貪欲のようなイタチ****/****狼だ！**

* * *

Slowly but surely the familiar beautiful house that had once been there home came into view as a young Olgilvie Maurice ran into the enormous backyard garden of his mother. Aleena turned her head, her long purple hair draping down as she saw her son approach her, her white dress flowing in the breeze as she clipped some laundry to the line above a ring of sunflowers that were poking up from the dirt. "Hello, honey." She said happily. "You're in a merry mood today!"

"Mom, mom, I've gotta show you this!" The young hedgehog insisted, nodding his head eagerly. He held up something for her to look at and grinned in pride. "Ta-daaaaaaa!" He proclaimed, showing off a diamond hairband. "I used metallurgy to create it from some of the coal we have in our basement! I KNOW it's illegal, but it's mother's day, and...well...happy mother's day!" He finished.

Aleena blinked in surprise, then picked up the diamond hairband, putting it on her head. "Oh, Olgilvie Maurice, you DO know how to treat a lady! You're just as skilled as your father was, and just as charming too!" She added, patting her son on the head. "Thank you! Creating something as nice as this!" She said as the young blue hedgehog rubbed the back of his neck, eyes closed as he nervously blushed.

"Aw, shucks, mom."

"It's just too bad..." She mumbled.

The hedgehog looked up, and suddenly the entire landscape had changed. He now stood in the basement, his mother's recently-brought-back remains gazing down with empty, burning white eyes, jaw rotting off, skin peeling away as she spoke like her mouth was filled with her own organs. "That you couldn't make my BODY into something nice..." She gurgled out.

Olgilvie Maurice screamed in terror and moved back a few feet, then felt something tugging down at him and he slowly turned his head, eyes widening in horror at the sight of a little chao who's head was cracked open, blood oozing down past it's eyes as it whimpered up at him. "Brother...it hurts...why does it hurt me?" Maria/Dulcy asked.

Olgilvie Maurice, aka Sonic the Hedgehog, awoke with a scream. He looked down at his hands, gasping and panting as sweat poured down his brow and he held his face tightly, weeping into his gloved hands, allowing the tears to freely flow.

...

...

...

...meanwhile, Miles "Tails" Prower was having a nicer dream, thinking back to their first "case"...the person they'd encountered a few weeks after Sonic had gotten his license as a State Metallurgist. It had been on one of their usual trips to visit certain "stations"...they were to check on the progress of members of the state to see how they were doing. But usually the "station towns and cities" were bustling places.

"This whole train's totally empty." Miles had remarked, frowning slightly. "We must really be going out into the sticks. Shadow said that we'd be sent somewhere really "out there" but I didn't think he meant this far!"

"This is what happens when there are no fast food places. If there ain't no McDonalds or nothing, there ain't any civilization to be found." Sonic commented, folding up the map he'd been looking over.

"That point's a bit debatable, I'd say." Miles laughed, rolling his eyes.

"Well, here we are. Coming up on our right, "The Town at the End of the East"...Special Zone."

The area known as "Special Zone" was a strange, strange place. As you entered a tunnel that would take you into the enormous area, you became aware of a sudden change of the entire world around you. The sky became a bluish/purple mix with sparkling stars slowly rotating around. Enormous towering structures of intricate red and gold and purple design were littered around the landscape. The entire place was also made of smooth metal...there was not so much as a single patch of grass or a single organic thing around, save for the people themselves. There was, however, an enormous, crystal-clear lake far off in the distance with a glassy, tube-like structure leading over it. Coming to a halt near this lake, Sonic and Miles got off the train and looked around.

"Wow, there's not much activity for someplace where there's supposed to be so much work to be done." Sonic thought out loud. Special Zone was known for being a goldmine of incredibly useful and beautiful gems. The material mined here was used to make the rings that people used in Metallurgy. From ordinary materials like copper and steel to rare metals like gold and silver, to the many veins of elemental crystals used to fashion rings of fire, water and other such powers...all were found primarily in this place.

Was everyone always working, Miles wondered.

"I wish somebody would just walk right up to us al-" Sonic began.

BONKA!

"YEOOOOWCH!" Sonic roared, rubbing his head as a young wolf carrying a large, crystalline pipe. "I didn't mean it like that!"

"Oh! Oh, WOW!" The young female wolf remarked. She grinned broadly, looking Sonic and Miles over. "HEY! MOOOOM! CUSTOMERS!" She called out.

"Uh, hello, how about apologizing for whacking my brains out?" Sonic remarked as a wolfess emerged from a nearby building, taking a mining helmet off and grinning down at the threesome.

"Look, mom! Customers! Revenue!"

"REVENUE?!" Miles remarked. "Hey now, hold on, who said we were-"

"Customers? Well this is great!" The wolfess commented cheerily. "Please, come this way!" She requested of Sonic and Miles, leading them into a nearby circular-topped hall. They walked inside to find themselves in a rather dusty diner/bar that had a neon sign that was faded and old showing somebody stuffing their faces. "You must be hungry and thirsty, it's a long trip here to Special Zone."

"Fine, fine." Sonic sighed. "Yeah, we could use a nice dinner."

"This place seems rather dusty, miss..?" Miles inquired as they sat down at a long table, with the wolfess going over to get some mugs of cold beer, then deciding the kids were too young and changing it for seltzer water instead.

"Lupe." She said. "That girl Maria is my daughter." She said, gesturing over at the young female wolf who nodded and placed down some plates and silverware for the two. "Sorry it's all so dusty, but a miner's salary is low."

"You're talkin' about money problems when you're fleecin' US?" Some other wolves laughed as they sat at a nearby table. "If your husband was here, he'd be laughing his head off."

"Shut iiiiit!" Lupe snapped.

"So, you'll be wanting one night and two meals for two, huh?" The little wolfess asked.

"Uh-huh. How much?" Sonic asked as Miles got out his wallet.

"It's expensiiiive." Lupe remarked with a wolfish grin.

"Ha, I've got plenty of money."

"2000 copper rings."

"GAAAAH!" Sonic groaned, eyes widening in horror, mouth flopping open. "That's a stinkin' ripoff!" He roared out. "I'll take my business to your COMPETITORS." He told them, smirking. "Thank goodness for the free market!" He remarked as he stood up to leave.

GROMPAH! He was grabbed around the head by Lupe. "There ain't no getting' away, piggybank! The price here's the fairest you'll find cuz this is the ONLY place serving room and board to tourists!" She commented evilly.

"OHHHH." Sonic moaned, looking at Miles as Lupe let go. "Huddle!" He said.

WOOP! He and Miles quickly stepped outside the building. "You got enough?" He asked Miles.

"Only 700 rings."

"And I've only got 500. Dang. Well...fine..." Sonic grinned and he kneeled down by the ground, smirking. "I guess I'll just have to use a Metal spell to conjure up some gold!"

"That's cheating! It's breaking one of the Three Cardinal Laws!" Miles hissed.

"If we don't get caught, we don't get caught." Sonic told him calmly.

"You're pure EVIL!" Miles said, bonking his brother on the head.

"Wait...Metal Spell?" Lupe the wolf said, suddenly popping up in between the two. "Why didn't you SAY you were metallurgists?" She asked, grinning. "You get a discount...if you can clean up this place." She asked, gesturing at the hall.

"That's MY specialty." Sonic commented, calmly walking into the hall and cracking his knuckles. "Spit shot!" He called out.

Everyone shrugged, then spat on the ground as Sonic did some crunches with his legs. Once they were all finished, he grinned, raised one leg up...

WHOOOOOOM! He went around and around and around the room, and the whole place felt like it had been stuck inside of a wind tunnel, a roar filling everyone's ears. But at long last, Sonic finished, coming to a halt as he brushed himself off, the entire hall no longer dusty, but now sparkling as if brand new. Even the old neon sign was working again. "Ahhhh. Lemony fresh." Sonic commented cheerily.

"So do me and my brother get the discount then?" Miles inquired.

"You two are brothers?...never woulda thunk that." Lupe commented, shrugging her shoulders as she went to the kitchen and began to cook up a nice chicken leek soup with some biscuits, mashed potatoes and peas. "You're gonna love this, I promise!" She said, bringing the food out to them, placing the plates before out heroes.

"So how much do we owe you for this and the room for the night then?" Sonic wanted to know.

"1000 rings instead." Lupe told him. "Half price discount. I wanted to be a metallurgist myself, but I don't have the skill, unfortunately." She admitted, sighing.

"That's still a LOT, but...okay." Sonic commented.

"Wait, I should ask...what's your name?" Maria the wolf wanted to know as Sonic was about to dig into his food.

"Olgilvie Maurice, but everyone calls me Sonic the Hedgehog." Sonic told everyone in the hall.

Instantly eyes hardened. People glared. Lupe whisked the plate away from Sonic. "Huh?" He looked up at her, blinking stupidly. "What gives?"

"You're **The Blue Blur**?" Lupe asked quietly, eyes turned to slits.

"Yeaaaaah?" Sonic told her, a bit confused.

Luckily for him, the door did not hit his ass as he was thrown out. But his head DID hit the ground and he groaned in pain. "Lady, what is your PROBLEM?!?" He screamed angrily.

"I won't give any food to a "Hog of the Military"!" Lupe snapped. "And what about YOU?" She asked Miles.

"Oh, Sonic's the licensed metallurgist. I'm just a civilian. I can only vote. Not that that's useful in this government..." Miles commented cheerily. "But I'm not that hungry, so can I just have that room for the night? I don't need the soup."

"Okay, you don't need to have the soup if you want."

"How about me?" Sonic whined.

"**No soup for you**!" Lupe snapped at Sonic, frowning angrily, shutting the door to the place behind her as Sonic moaned and sat outside on the harsh ground.

"Boy, they sure hate the military." Miles commented to Maria the wolf as she sat near him. "How come?"

"Nack. He's a half-breed weasel wolf and an old war hero. Originally the Central Forces were posed to destroy us all, but then he rallied the whole town behind himself and held Central's men off for weeks. Eggman was apparently so impressed with his balls and his sniping skills that he gave him the Metallurgist title "**Fang the Sniper**" for his skill with creating and using guns." Maria explained. "But that was years ago, and ever since then he's lorded it over everyone else."

"He sends the people at Central all the bribes he can from out of OUR paychecks and he bought this whole place. It's all his private property even though he SAYS it's run by Central, and that's how Central wants it to be portrayed." Another wolf, one of lighter fur spoke up, speaking a thick, sad tone as he sighed and sipped some beer.

"And if anybody speaks up against him, his hired Yakuza thugs beat the crap outta us. He SUCKS!" Maria snapped, kicking the nearby table and then groaning as she rubbed her foot.

"Worst of all's the fact that he's supposed to be a member of the State. Somebody looking out for our interests." Lupe muttered balefully, folding her arms. "Politics is about doing well for the people...yet people like the state metallurgists sell their souls for special privileges..."

Miles said nothing. He just frowned slightly.

...

...

...

...needless to say, Sonic didn't stay hungry long. His brother snuck him some water, bread and cheese out of the fridge of the diner, bringing it to the blue hedgehog. Sonic eagerly dug into the food as he and Miles sat by a large container of various mining materials. Miles had been explaining the situation to Sonic as he ate, and the harsh reality of the Special Zone made the food taste much, much worse. A sour taste was left in Sonic's mouth as he wiped his chin and folded his arms, frowning darkly.

"I guess I should have seen this coming. I mean, we expected we'd get SOME flack for joining the State. But not only that, we broke the taboo, committed the worst possible sin and we have these curses on us." Sonic sighed. "What would our Mistress think if she saw us today?"

"Yeah..."

"...I'll tell you what she'd think. She'd think her foot would look good going up our asses, that's what she'd think!" Sonic groaned, as he and Miles shivered, thinking back to the teacher who'd they'd practiced Metallurgy with for all those summers.

"Well, well, well." A voice called out, unmistakably nasty in tone and vaguely Australian. They turned their heads to see somebody stepping into the store/hall. Two of the people were not people, but black-suit-wearing wolves with white fur. Yet what caught their eye was the purple-furred weasel/wolf mutt at the front who had a big brown "Crocodile Dundee" style hat and brown boots, with brown gloves that had rings on the front of them...colored the symbol of the element of Metal, with more rings embedded in his hat, circling around. As the brothers snuck over to a nearby window to peek inside, they saw one fang was larger than the others, and sticking out of his mouth as he leered, with a white muzzle and chest/stomach and a long and thick purple tail that looked rather springy. "You thought ya could hide it from me?"

"Hide what?" Lupe muttered, voice filled with disdain.

"You ain't been a-payin' yer taxes." Nack the Weasel commented coldly.

"Well sorry, but it's hard to pay our taxes when our pay is as low as it is." Lupe told him, frowning.

"Oh, so you've enough rings to buy beer, but not enough to pay your taxes?" Nack remarked, raising an imaginary eyebrow. "Well, we'll see if you can still crack wise after I've lowered your income from "Minimum Wage" to "Illegal Immigrant" standards?" He sneered.

"YOU STINKIN' MUTT!" Maria yelled, tossing a wet dish rag at Nack. It smacked into his face and slowly slid to the ground. Nack frowned darkly, a nasty glint entering his eyes.

He swiped his arm through the air and a small but potent bullet jumped out from the ring on one of his hands, striking Maria in the stomach. It was only with the force of a BB, but it was enough to make her fall to her knees as the two Yakuza stepped forward. "I think that the little bitch here needs to be taught a lesson or two, wouldn'tcha say?" Nack commented darkly as the Yakuza pulled out some long katanas.

FWOOSH!

The katanas were suddenly tossed through the air and now embedded in the ceiling. Sonic stood there, calmly looking the Yakuza and the weasel/wolf over. "How DARE you butt in, you..." Nack began. But then he took a closer look at him...seeing the rings around his wrists and knees...and the color of the fur...

"...wait...are you...Sonic the Hedgehog?" Nack asked, eyes narrowing.

"The one and only." Sonic said, pointing at himself with his thumb.

"Well, in THAT case..." Nack grinned to himself. This was it. Sonic the Hedgehog was a big-shot. A State Metallurgist, not just some random pencil pusher who'd arrived to do an annual check-up. "You shouldn't stay in this filthy place. I've got very accommodating lodgings."

"Ah, good! The old biddy here wouldn't let me stay cuz she's so stingy." Sonic commented with a cheery grin as Lupe muttered "I'm gonna make hedgehog stew from you" out of the corner of her mouth.

...

...

...

...Nack's place happened to be quite different from the dusty bar. The walls were beautifully painted peach, with mahogany tables and custom-carved designs in the chairs. There was an enormous fireplace by a nearby mini-bar, with Sonic and Nack sitting at one such table and enjoying a meal of finely-cut chicken with delicious gravy and roasted carrots. There was a fine wine on the table, which Nack sipped.

"To think we're eating like this when the miners are having soup..." Sonic thought to himself.

"It's embarassin' ta admit, but I've been having difficulty collecting taxes, y'see." Nack informed Sonic, taking a drag of a cigar and blowing some smoke into the air. "And those jerkwads keep on' causin' trouble..."

"So they insist they have rights even though they don't pay taxes." Sonic commented, biting into his chicken.

"Exactly." Nack intoned, nodding his head, pointing the cigar at Sonic. "Smart man! Now, all the world's revolves around one principle: giving and taking. You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours. Everybody wants theirs, but they have to give a little something up to get it. My Mom, she wanted some love, and she got it from this hotshot weasel who came into town in his fancy limo..."

Nack frowned darkly. "Then he knocked her up and left. Never sent one check for child support. And the town hates mutts..." He mumbled darkly. "So I worked my way up...CLAWED my way up to the top. I deserve the place I've got for all I've put in. I deserve some privilege."

He snapped his fingers and some Yakuza men in sunglasses brought in a small bag on a tray. Sonic picked it up, looking it over. "Now, you're a State Metallurgist of great renown. You have charm with the higher-ups...I'd like a good word put in, from one Metallurgist to another."

"This would be the part where you bribe me, right?" Sonic asked, frowning slightly.

"It's "scratching your back"." Nack commented with a sly, wolfish grin. "I don't wanna be stuck in this deadbeat town much longer. Just a good word from a fellow Metallurgist ot the higher ups would get me outta here. Equivalent exchange...fair's fair, right?" He asked softly.

Sonic calmly pocketed the bribe and nodded. "Fine...fine. I'm going to go to bed." He said.

"Second door on your right." Nack said, pointing out the door behind Sonic and nodding. He then turned his head as a Yakuza member spoke to him. But Sonic could hear the whispers. He could hear EXACTLY what they were saying...and all too clearly.

"So every night they've been going there to complain about the taxation? I think they need ta be otught a lesson. Burn it down. Down to the groooound."

...

...

...

...the hall was now burnt ashes that Lupe was holding in her paws as Maria looked over at Sonic, who stood near Miles. Many other wolves were all baying sadly at the moon as Lupe tried not to cry. "That monster." Maria muttered angrily. "He pulled a dirty trick."

"...your mom...she wanted to be a metallurgist to save this place, didn't she?" Miles asked quietly.

"...yeah." Maria the wolf mumbled. She then turned to Sonic. "Hey, you...you CAN do Metallurgy! Make some gold!"

"...no." Sonic said, turning away.

"Why not?" Maria wanted to know.

"The law of the world is "you scratch my back, I scratch yours", isn't it? And besides, you treated me like scum. Why should I help you guys out when you wouldn't even give me a bowl of soup?"

"YOUSONOFABITCH!!!" Maria the wolf snarled, grabbing ahold of Sonic's arm and raising a fist up to punch him. He calmly looked into her eyes, green into dark purple, and she held her fist aloft for a few moments before she finally lowered it, gritting her teeth.

"It wouldn't matter. Even if I did give you the gold, it would just be taken away as taxes and you'd be right back where you started. If you hate living here so much, move and go find work elsewhere." Sonic muttered.

"You don't get it." Lupe spoke up softly. "This town is our home. It's where we were all born. It's where we'll all die. This is our world. We don't want to see it destroyed. And we don't want to give up on it either."

Sonic was quiet for a while. Then he calmly walked off, heading off for the mining area with Miles following behind him. Eventually he reached a large truck with the back containment hold still open. "Tell me...how much gold do you think could fit on here?" Sonic asked, grinning broadly.

"How about you let ME do it this time, and YOU can be the accomplice to a blatant disregard for the law?" Miles laughed, walking up to the truck, holding his gloved hands up.

**KRA-KROOOOOM!**

...

...

...

... "Now, I know this might be surprising, but...I'd like you to sell me the deed to this place, Fang the Sniper." Sonic commented.

Nack steepled his four-fingered gloved hands together, grinning a toothy grin. "And I would do that...why?"

"Well, it's like you said. Fair's fair. And I think that all this gold...is a fair price, right?" Sonic asked, gesturing to the side as the door behind him opened and Miles wheeled in nuggets, bars, carrots, bullion...

"Gold...GOLD...**GOLD!**" Nack cheered, jumping up and down on his tail, tongue hanging out of his mouth as he raced around the gold and promptly hugged it, kissing it tenderly. "Oh baby, oh baby, don't ever leave me! _Ohhhhh_, we're gonna be so **GOOD** for each other!" He whispered.

"Did he just _orgasm_?" Miles wondered as he looked on in disgust.

"Well, I...I'd be HAPPY to sell you he deed to this decrepit cess-pool!" Nack laughed happily, rubbing his hands together as he sat atop some of the piles of gold.

"And I'd be happy to inform my friends in the higher ups about you. But, well, since using magic to summon gold is illegal, what do you say you wrote a contract up saying that you're giving the deed to me for free? You know...skip that troublesome legal process?" Sonic commented with an evil grin.

"Buddy, I 'tink dis is gonna be da beginnin' of a beaaaautiful friendship." Nack commented cheerfully, shaking Sonic's hand and grinning broadly.

"Good lord, they're so alike it's SCARY." Miles thought to himself.

...

...

...

... "So, we're ALL decided, then?" Maria the wolf asked as she held aloft a meat cleaver, dark intent in her eyes.

"Yeah, enough is enough is enough is enough!" A dark-brown-furred wolf remarked, slamming his fist into his open palm as he growled darkly. "I'm gonna make that sonofabitch pay!"

"You can't do this. I won't let you all become criminals." Lupe insisted, holding a paw up into the air and shaking her head as they stood around the new bar/store. "I can't-"

"Hellooooooo smiley peoples!" Sonic commented cheerily, walking into the new hall with a big grin on his face.

"What the hell are YOU doing here, you stinkin' rat?" Lupe snapped.

"Ah-ah! I wouldn't' be so nasty to the new owner of this place." Sonic informed them all, unfurling a large piece of paper in front of all their eyes. "See? Mining management, sales, the stores, the equipment...I **own** your asses." Sonic grinned.

"**WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA?!?**" All of the wolves screamed in horror.

"Buuuuut...we don't really plan on stickin' around. We're headin' for the west cuz we're wild and free, y'know? Staying in one place too long...not our style. And it's not like one would stay here for the food. BUT...since I believe in the idea of "scratching people's back so they'll scratch mine"...how about a fair trade? This mine's worth a lot to you...right?" Sonic asked. "Well right now, a good, delicious meal and a nice night's sleep would mean a lot to us. So...how about it?" He asked, holding the deed to the town high.

"...you're right...the cost IS high!" Lupe laughed. "Ha-ha-ha-ha! You got it!" she said, shaking Sonic's paw.

"Alrighty then! Then by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you the new owner of this "cess-pool". Kiss the bride!" Sonic said, handing her the deed just as Nack burst into the hall.

"SONIC!" He roared out. "What the freakin' hell's goin' on here?"

"Well, I just sold the deed to Special Zone to Mines with Wolves over here." Sonic commented, gesturing at Lupe.

"Wh-wh-that...that's just...GAH! WHATEVER!" Nack groaned, throwing his paws in the air. "Look!" He roared out, pulling something from out of his pocket. "All the gold bars you gave me turned to rock!"

"You changed it back?" Miles whispered to Sonic.

"Time release spell. I do so love Magic sometimes." Sonic told his brother before turning to Nack. "Gold bars? How odd. Cuz according to the deed ya gave me..." He held it up. "Says you gave me the whole place outta the kindness of your heart." He said in a sickly-sweet tone.

"...MOTHER**BITCH**!" Nack screamed. "The deal's off, ya stinkin' skunk!" he turned to his Yakuza men. "Take the documents from them! NOW!"

"Uh, no, we can't." The first Yakuza said. "A deal's a deal."

"Yes. Professionals have STANDARDS." The second one commented. "See ya." They nodded and then left Nack alone...literally leaving him to the wolves.

"Eek." Nack gulped as his legs wobbled, knees hitting each other.

"Oh, and don't worry...I'll be sure to tell the higher-ups ALL about your corruption and incompetence. Boy, won't YOU have something to look forward to?" Sonic happily told the now sobbing weasel/wolf who had broken down on the floor.

"Woohoo!" Maria yelled.

"This calls for a celebration. **Bring out the booze!**" Lupe roared with delight, pointing upwards dramatically.

As Sonic and Miles were carried off on the shoulders of the wolves and Nack, sobbing, ran off like a chicken, Lupe smiled. She'd been wrong about that hog. He hadn't sold his soul to the state after all...

...

...

...

...the white-haired human looked out at the enormous crowd assembled in the stadium as he sat upon a single stool. He wore a gold jacket, black straps jutting across his shoulders and the chest region as he wore a belt with an emerald stud at the front, two more emeralds embedded in his tipless gloves, one for each glove. He strummed on the guitar, bobbing his head to the rhythm of the song as he began to speak softly into the microphone hidden in his jacket that allowed his voice to be so clearly heard by the people.

"This is one of my personal favorites." He told them all. "I've been singing it since the very beginning and the more I hear it, the more I love it...and the more YOU all seem to love it too, am I right?" He asked with a crowd-pleasing grin. The people cheered, clapping their hands and whooping and hollering as they jumped in the air or waved signs.

He tapped his feet against the floor of the enormous stage of the stadium and then began to sing.

_**Full moon swaaaaays**_

_**Gently in the night of one fine daaaaay...**_

_**Ooooon myyyyy waaaaay...**_

_**Looking for a moment with my deeeaaaar...**_

_**Fuuuuull mooooon waaaaaves...**_

_**Sloooowly on the surface of the laaaake!**_

He raised his head up, as the roof of the stadium opened up to show the moon gently hovering in the night, as the people held up lighters, slowly weaving them back and forth to the song, clearly enjoying it.

_**Yooooou weeeeere theeeeere...**_

_**Smiling in my arms for all those yeeeeaaaars!**_

_**What a fool!**_

_**I don't know 'bout tomorrow...**_

_**What it's like to beeeeee...**_

_**Ahhhhh-huuuh...**_

_**I was sure...**_

_**I couldn't let myself goooo...**_

_**Even though I feeeeeel...**_

_**The eeeeeend...**_

The artist smiled in a sublime fashion, speaking more softly now as he spoke the lines as tenderly as a lover speaks to another.

_**Ooooold love affair!**_

_**Floating like a bird that's taken wiiiiing...**_

_**Yooooou weeeeere theeeeere...**_

_**Smiling in my arms for all those yeeeeaaaars!**_

He then stood up, holding his arm up high before jamming on the guitar, moving his body to the rhythm as he played, the people going wild over the song.

_**What a fool!**_

_**I don't know 'bout tomorrow...**_

_**What it's like to beeeeee...**_

_**Ahhhhh-huhhh...**_

_**I was sure...**_

_**I couldn't let myself goooo...**_

_**Even though I feeeeeel...**_

_**The eeeeeend...**_

He then held his hand up in a "farewell" gesture, slowly walking backwards as he began to vanish into the darkness of the stage behind him, only his pink eyes glimmering from the blacky depths.

_**Full moon swaaaaays**_

_**Gently in the night of one fine daaaaay...**_

_**Yooouu weeeere theeeeere...**_

_**Smiling in my arms for all those yeeeaaaars!**_

As a curtain descended to block off the audience's sight of his eyes, the people went wild as the albino human grinned to himself, looking at a nearby mirror.

"White, my fine, HANDSOME fellow, you've outdone yourself once again." He commented cheerily, picking up a comb from off a nearby desk and running it through his white hair. "Nothin' more satisfying than people paying for my playing."

I'm bringin' sexyback! The motherfuckers don't know how to act!

The albino known as Michael White frowned darkly and picked up his cell phone. "What is it?"

"...you really think you can hide from us forever? Hard to do when you advertise your concerts so heavily." A voice spoke up.

"Ah, **Flippancy**. How are you?" White commented cheerfully, though his face bore a visible scowl. "Don't you think the rock you crawled out from is having withdrawal?"

"Don't you think you should get back to your cage, DOG? Never forget who holds the leash, **Selfishness.**" Sonia's voice calmly commented.

"Blow it out your ass, Busty McBreasts." White snapped. "I'm tellin' you the same thing I told Daddy Dearest: LEAVE...ME...THE FUCK...ALONE! Try and get this through your head: **I WANNA GET RICH AND DRIVE A 1961 FERRARI GT!**"

With that, he hung up and held the phone high in his tipless-gloved hands. His eyes glowed brightly and a bright pink blast of energy made the phone shatter into a thousand pieces. He then sighed.

"Crap. I'm runnin' outta cell phones."

**Author's Note:**

**Well, what else can I say besides...review? And I hope you're enjoying this. :D  
**


	6. Heavy Rain Brings Heavy Burden

_The basic rule of all magic stems from one thing: the concept of Faith. In order to understand magic, you must be able to believe in it, pure and simple. _

_From thereon out, pure willpower and the elements around you are what bring out the best in Magic. The problem with magic is that you can only do so much with it and only if you follow it's rules. Life Magic is the most sacred of all, and for those who are not "chosen" to be given free rein over it, the consequences for attempting it..._

_Can leave eternal scars._

**Episode Five:**

**The Heavy Rain Brings a Heavy Burden**

**豪雨は、重い負担をもたらす**

* * *

It was the morning after that fateful evening they'd discovered what had become of Dulcy and Maria. Sonic and his brother Tails were now at Central HQ, hoping to visit Rouge and Shadow because they wanted to know what would happen to the thing that had become a chao...the being that had, at one point, been two separate beings.

The rain was relentlessly pouring down upon their heads as they made their way up the stairs into the warmth of Central City's main headquarters, yet the permanent chill of guilt continued to follow them. Sonic rapped his knuckles on Rouge's doorway as Tails stood behind him, and Rouge soon answered the door, looking the two over.

"It's not even 8 AM and you're already up? What's the matter with you two? What can I help you boys with?" She wanted to know.

"...uh...Rouge...what's going to happen to Dulcy and Maria?" Sonic mumbled nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. "I can't stand not knowing."

"Neither of us can." Tails admitted, nodding his head.

Rouge blanched slightly. Her pink eyes nervously looked to the side. "...well, the original plan was that that sonofabitch Gerald was going to have his license as a State Metallurgist taken away, and then he was going to fry." She told them all. "But...but he and the chao that the dragon and the human were turned into are dead."

Tails's eyes went wider than saucers as Sonic's head shot up, and his face became pale. "What?" He squeaked out.

"Or rather, they were killed...murdered last night." Rouge added quietly as she stepped out of her office, carrying a metal clipboard with her. She sighed deeply as she walked along the hallway, the horrified brothers walking alongside her.

"Dead?" Tails asked.

"You would have found out eventually, it's better I told ya now."

"By WHO?" Sonic demanded to know, a dark and furious glint entering his eyes as he clenched his fists tightly, walking after Rouge with Tails following after.

"Truth is boys, we're not sure. I was on my way over to Gerald's place right now."

"We're coming with!" Sonic insisted.

"No." Rouge said, turning around and holding her gloved hand up, shaking her head.

"Why the hell not?!?" Sonic demanded to know.

"...it's...it's best you don't see." Rouge spoke softly. And with that, she turned on her heels, heading down the hallway, leaving Sonic and Tails by a small portrait on the wall of Dr. Eggman himself. Sonic bowed his head slightly, then furiously slammed his fist into the wall, making the painting fall to the ground.

"DAMMIT!" He screamed.

...

...

...

... "Looks like this disgusting freak's always one step ahead o' us." Mighty muttered to the others as he knelt by the currently-covered-up, slightly decaying corpse of Gerald Robotnik.

"We've GOT to catch him. And soon." Knuckles said angrily, slamming his fist into his palm. "If this rate keeps going at the rate it's going then..." He shuddered in a mixture of disgust and fear.

"Yeah, no kiddin'." Mighty agreed with Knuckles as the guards stood around them, Shadow folding his arms, looking deep in thought, eyes closed tightly.

"...you sound like you expected this to happen." Shadow murmured. "...what's going on?"

Elsewhere, somebody as making a speech...but this was not just ANY "somebody". This was a somebody that, by all rights, out to have been worm food. Yet instead, Snively Robotnik stood at his podium, arms stretched up, hands clenched into fists as he spoke fervently.

"I know how furious all of you have been at the lies and falsehoods of Religion. Less than a week ago they spread more falsehoods through our fair city of Knothole to destroy all we've created here, to create a power vacuum so their forces of ignorance could take hold! But Science will not allow the candle of wisdom to be so easily snuffed out by lies and cheap tricks!"

The crowd of people before the podium roared, holding torches and pitchforks into the sky, the burning flames from the torches so bright that they almost made the stars themselves fall down from the heavens above.

"Worse still, those Central City forces who blindly follow the lie of Religion and enforce it a gunpoint, are going to shove their faith down our throats! WILL-WE-ALLOW-IT?!?" He roared furiously. "NO! **NO! ****NO!**" He howled, slamming his fists into the podium with every single "No" that he uttered. The crowd began to chant along. "No, no, no, no" and soon they were worked up into an enormous fervor, rushing through the streets.

"Let's get those Central City jerks!" Somebody roared out.

"Hey, hold on!" Somebody yelled, a human teenager. "How can you trust what he says? Think for yourself, dude!"

"Shut up! You're just a pawn of the military!"

"A stupid human!"

"Frag 'em all!"

Meanwhile, a certain long-haired hedgehog grinned as she watched the entire scene unfold from the top of Snively's laboratory, at the highest point of his lookout. Grinning to herself, the one known as Sonia laughed. "Ha-ha-ha! Ohhh, I do love my work sometimes. I guess it's true...the Devil's greatest trick was convincing the world he never existed." She remarked with a girly giggle as the tegu lizard nearby nodded.

"Uh-huh, uh-huh." He agreed.

"Aren't they all such idiots, Biolizard? Just goes to show you that Sapients are just as dumb as humans."

"Dumb-dumb-dumb-dumb-dumb!" Biolizard said in a singsong manner.

"I told you, you've got to stop watching that show. You won't learn anything from it." Sonia commented. "Besides, humans made it, and personally, they wouldn't know good humor if it up and bit them on the ass."

"Quite possibly." A voice spoke up. They turned their heads to see Snivley ascending the stairs to the lookout where they were. "But one thing I ADORE about humans is they make excellent scapegoats. Nothing like a race riot to really put a smile on one's face, eh?" He asked, his grin the work of demons.

"C'mon get happyyyy!" Biolizard sang out.

"It was all so easy. Just a little manipulation of information, I whip people up into a bit of a frenzy, and then they do the rest." Snivley told them all, looking over Knothole with the other two.

"admittedly Sonic did interfere a bit, but we actually made good use of it. And now look. Bloodshed leading to more bloodshed, hatred leading to more hatred, the endless cycle of violence and cruelty. All of it swells up to feed the war within the Earth, carving a crest of blood into the land and making HIM stronger." Sonia whispered, looking out over the city as the sun began to set and cast fire-like light across the horizon. "They try and try but just-never-learn."

"That's why we can do anything we please to them, right?" Snively asked, a big grin on his features, and this made Sonia give a devilish grin.

"Will a buncha people kick the bucket? Buy the farm? Cease to be?" Biolizard asked.

"Oh, definitely. Hundreds, I'd imagine." Sonia said in a tone so casual that you'd think she was talking about the weather.

"Can I eat the ones that shuffle off this mortal coil?"

"No, you'll get gas." Sonia said, patting the tegu lizard on the head and shaking her own. "And stop watching those TV shows. You'll rot out what little a brain you have."

"Now-now, SOME of their entertainment is actually entertaining. In fact I might stop in to the big city to watch some prostitutes beat each other up later." Sniveley added cheerily.

"Okay, I can't stomach that nasally voice anymore. It's making me want to vomit." Sonia finally said, folding her arms and turning on Sniveley, who calmly smiled.

"Oh, fine, fine." He said, shrugging as slowly but surely his flesh began to dissolve away, sloughing off his body in tiny flakes to reveal blue metal beneath, with sharp grey/silver claws and a robotic form. "What, you don't like me setting the mood? I don't mind. Why should I have this appearance anyhow? He's all bald...wrinkly...too..."

Soulless red eyes glinted as a hedgehog-esque robot stood there, arms folded, with a mouthless face unmistakably showing disgust. "ORGANIC." Metal Sonic remarked with a sense of finality.

"You really enjoy seeing prostitutes fight? How cruel you are." Sonia laughed.

"Cruelty's a HUMAN emotion, Sonia. One shared by you Sapients and by my loathsome copy." Metal Sonic commented." I'm merely efficient and-"

"GAAAAAH!" A voice screamed. The evil threesome turned their heads to see one of Sniveley's lab assistants gasping in horror, dropping the clipboard in his hands. He had apparently seen everything and had only JUST worked up his courage. "You FREAK...what the...what the hell happened to the REAL Dr. Sniveley? What the hell are you?!" He gasped.

"...he called me a freak. I feel so..._insulted_." Metal Sonic commented, rolling his eyes, his metallic voice ringing with sarcasm as Sonia looked to the side.

"Can I eat him?" Biolizard asked. Sonia and Metal Sonic looked over to see he was drooling.

"...uhhhh..." Sonia blinked a few times.

...

...

...

... "So..." Metal Sonic commented calmly as he leaned against the wall with the Biolizard's very loud lip-smacking ringing in both he and Sonia's ears. "I recently checked the military news database after some hacking. It appears as though the **Spear of Life** is dead."

"Who gives two shits about Gerald? He might have been Eggman's grandpappy, but you know how Ivo HONESTLY felt-" Sonia began.

"I DON'T give two shits about Gerald. It's the KILLER I'm interested in. It's him. The one from before." Metal told her.

Sonia's eyes became dark slits. "..._him_?" She asked.

"Him." Metal agreed.

"...speaking of Central City, isn't **The Burning Metallurgist** stationed there as well?" Sonia wanted to know, brushing some of her eggplant-colored hair back.

"Yes, and apparently so is "Fatty" Maurice, aka **The Blue BLOB**." Metal Sonic added, his laughter sounding like a soda machine was hiccuping.

"...Sonic himself, eh?" Sonia commented calmly. "How interesting. I'm annoyed that he interfered with our work, but we can't let him die either. He IS an important sacrifice..."

"Ooh, that was tasty!" Biolizard announced, turning back to Sonia and trying to hug her.

"Wipe your mouth after you eat, honey bunch." She said dryly. "So then, the robot...his name's-"

"Omega? As in the Greek Letter Omega?" Shadow asked, looking at Mighty and Knuckles as they sat in his office, with Rouge sitting on the edge of Shadow's desk.

"Yes. We call him by the symbol he has emblazoned on his frame: the letter that means "Omega", for "End"." Knuckles said, nodding his head, his dreadlocks slighty stiffening in simmering fury over what had happened over at Gerald's estate.

"He's elusive too. He always seems to elude capture." Mighty added. "But our superiors want him caught, and on top of that, my work at the court-martial office is pilin' up too. Paperwork be draggin' a brother down." Mighty muttered, rolling his eyes.

"He's killed 5 people here in Central City, and five others outside, all of them State Metallurgists." Knuckles went on.

"He's the one that did in **The Imperator** too." Mighty told Shadow.

"It was HIM?!" Shadow gasped. "But he was supposed to be one of our most skilled..." Shadow's eyes turned to look away slightly as he growled darkly. "This is more serious than I thought."

"So you should increase your escort and lie low for a while. Play it cool. I'm tellin' ya this as a friend." Mighty insisted. "I mean, the only State Metallurgists around here have been you and Gerald, right?"

"...oh no." Rouge gasped.

"What?" Knuckles wanted to know.

"...no. I'm NOT the only State Metallurgist in Central right now." Shadow whispered, eyes widening in horror.

...

...

...

...our two brothers were sitting at Central City park as the rain continued to pour down onto their heads. They sat together, looking out into the grey haze that filled the park as water continued to "plip-plip-plip" down from the skies. A statue they were sitting under as they sat on a bench (one of Eggman himself) had water dripping off a pointing finger to land between the two.

They'd been silent for a long time, just thinking. But now Sonic put his thoughts into words.

"I've been thinking for a while about what it means to be a Metallurgist. To know Metallurgy is to understand the flow of the World, to bring Faith and Logic together in holy matrimony, to make life better for the people." Sonic murmured. "The world has a balance. Good and evil. Life and Death. One cannot upset this balance, but should seek to uphold it. That's what our teach used to tell us, remember?"

"...yes."

"...but we didn't' really understand, did we? That's why we tried to bring Mom back, even though we weren't "chosen". And now here I am, wondering "Why do I need this "privilege" to fix a wrong that can't be fixed"? Why can I never act fast enough? Do enough? I'm such a dumbass."

"I thought the rain would make me feel clean. But the more it hits me, the dirtier I feel." Sonic told his brother.

"I don't even HAVE a real body. Everything is muffled...everything is deadened." Tails murmured sadly, and he would have cried then and there if he could have, but tears were a gift of the truly living, and he had no body that could weep. "I can't feel the rain. I feel dead inside. I want to go back to how I used to be. Even if it means upsetting the balance for just one moment." He told Sonic as Sonic bowed his head and Tails looked up into the rain.

A robot stood there, watching them solemnly. He'd been listening to everything they'd said for the past five minutes, having hidden behind the statue, but now he looked them over with a mixture of solemn intent. He was surprised at how little regret he felt for what he was about to do.

"You're Sonic the Hedgehog? **The Blue Blur**?" The robot asked quietly.

Sonic looked up to see a clawed hand being raised up, and his eyes widened in horror. He was stuck like a deer in headlights, unable to move away...

Luckily his brother snatched him away from the robot before it could grab him and Sonic lay on the wet ground, looking up with horror at the robot as he and Tails gazed upon this new attacker. The hedgehog was suddenly filled with a sense of utter terror...a miasma of darkness was creeping off of this being that gazed at them with cold red stones for eyes...

But finally he found himself speaking...

"RUUUUN!" He screamed.

And he and Tails DID run. They raced out of the park, going as fast as they could, but the rain made the ground slippery. They were sliding left and right as they desperately tried to get away from the robot, that continued to chase after them, eyes set with dark resolve.

"Why the hell is this guy after us?" Sonic yelled. "I'm noit the kinda guy to make enem-"

**SFX: Waa-waa-waaaaa!**

"...okay, scratch that, but I've never done anything to get somebody to wanna freakin' KILL me!" Sonic remarked in confusion as he and Tails raced down the main streets of Central City, panting and heaving as the rain continued to pour down. They finally raced into a nearby alleyway, only to find...

"...oh shit." Tails murmured. The robot had guessed which way they would run and was now at the opposite end of the alley. They tried to turn around-

The robot held a claw tip up and a single speck of purplish/black magic swept forward, and an enormous barrier was erected, cutting Sonic and Tails off from returning to the alley. Skull-shaped indentations began to moan from the wall as Sonic looked at the robot.

"Who the heck are you? What's your malfunction?!"

"Just as there are those who create, such as you...there are those who destroy." The robot spoke simply.

"Oh, the "Cats and Dogs" argument, huh?" Sonic asked, frowning as he held his fists up and his body began to glow with yellow light, Tails taking up a fighting stance as well. The robot looked them over as Sonic's fur turned yellow and if it could have, it would have grinned.

"So you're not afraid." It spoke up.

They rushed forward at the same time. Two fists surged forward...

"But..."

THWISH!

They missed.

_"You're too slow."_

One clawed hand grabbed ahold of Tails's side.

SHA-THROOOOM!

Dark magic swirled around the fox's body and he gasped in horror as Sonic screamed. "NO!" He roared out as Tails hit the ground, his entire form shimmering before finally showing off his true form.

The robot blinked in surprise. "...a disguise so potent it could cloud even my sensors...a teenage Metallurgist traveling with an enchanted fox doll. You're an awfully strange pair." He decided, turning to Sonic who was kneeling by his fallen, gasping and wheezing brother as white fluff billowed out of the wound like lifeblood. "I thought my Touch of Darkness spell would finish you, but this is taking longer than I thought."

"Don't think I'm gonna follow your SCHEDULE!" Sonic roared out in a fury, as black lightning streaked across his yellow-furred form, his eyes becoming a foul dark red for a moment as he rushed forward...

The robot's claws shout out and grabbed his arm. "You are not using your arms again." He spoke up.

Pain. Knives being stabbed into his arm and twisted as dark fire wrapped around him, and it looked like blackened ash had been permanently scrubbed into his arm. He felt a sickening chill suddenly rising through his body and Sonic fell to his knees, gasping as Tails tried to get up, but to no avail.

"No...no...brother..." Tails whimpered.

"Any final requests?" The robot inquired. "Perhaps a prayer to God?"

"I think God hates me, no offense." Sonic mumbled. "...tell me. Am I the only one you're after?...or...or are you gonna kill my little brother too?"

"If he interferes, I WILL have to slay him." The robot spoke solemnly. "But right now, my only target is **you**, Sonic the Hedgehog."

Sonic gripped his knees tightly. "...then promise me you won't touch my brother." He spoke quietly.

"I promise." The robot said firmly, nodding as he reached out with his claws for Sonic's bowed head.

"No...NO! Leave my brother alone! LEAVE HIM ALONE!" Tails screamed.

**BANG!  
**

A shot echoed through the air and the robot turned to the side to see Shadow the hedgehog lowering a gun, giving it back to Rouge. "That's enough." He spoke out, with guards on all sides to his left and right, a sleek black car behind him. "You've been an absolute pain in my ass, Omega. Now it ends. You're going into custody for the killing of 10 State Metallurgists...and..."

He frowned darkly. "One recently FIRED Metallurgist and an innocent chao." He added.

Sonic's eyes widened and he stood up, a furious, baleful glare entering his eyes as Tails gasped. That had been HIM who'd done the deed at Gerald's estate?

Omega simply stared at Shadow, Rouge and the assembled guards. He didn't move. He didn't blink.

"You don't deny it?" Shadow asked quietly, red eyes staring into red.

"You users of Magic tap into the Elements of the World. You are playing with powers that you are not meant to have. NO being is meant to mistreat the World for their own goals, and you Metallurgists use the World's aura for your own gains constantly!" Omega defended.

"Fine, I can understand you getting annoyed with magic users that use the element of Metal to make free Gold, or those who use the elements to commit crimes. But why only punish State Metallurgists? There a thousands of Magic users across the Earth." Shadow commented.

"If you get in my way, I'll just eliminate you." Omega said coldly.

Shadow raised an invisible eyebrow. "Oh you WILL, will you?" He asked. "You can TRY." He said, clenching his fists.

"Shadow, wait..." Rouge began.

"Shadow?" Omega's eyes widened slightly.

"Yes. I'm Shadow the Hedgehog, **THE BURNING ALCHEMIST.**" Shadow stated proudly, eyes glittering like fire.

"You've saved me the trouble of coming after you..." Omega whispered, claws twitching in eagerness. The unmistakable aura of sheer diabolical glee began to pour off his body. "Oh, what a GLORIOUS day this is!" He hissed.

"You know who I am and you STILL want to fight with me? You're a fool!" Shadow roared out, about to flick a burning arrow of flame at Omega...

THA-THWUMP!

Rouge knocked his head down and whipped out two pistols, unloading them at the robot as he quickly jumped away on jets that sprung from his back, landing with a THA-THUD by a nearby shop, looking smug.

"What the hell did you do that for!?" Shadow snapped at Rouge.

"You're useless in this rain, sir." Rouge informed him.

"..." Shadow sighed, hanging his head.

"Careful sir, those deep sighs are gonna throw your back out." Ray informed Shadow as Omega laughed.

"Ha-ha-ha-ha! So many enemies to destroy..." Omega laughed. "All of you want to interfere, eh? Then I'll eliminate you all, one at a time!"

"YOU CAN DAMN-WELL-TRY!" Knuckles roared out.

THA-THWAAAAAM!

It almost connected. Knuckle's punch would have gone right through Omega's chassis but the robot slid to the side in time to avoid the strike as Knuckles removed his namesakes from the street, his eyes burning brightly. "So, you're fast enough to dodge my strike...I'm impressed. But if you think I'll go easy on you, you've got another thing coming! I'm the **Stone First Metallurgist**, Knuckles the Echidna!" He roared out, holding his fists high. "Try putting ME to death!"

"One after another. This is my lucky day." Omega spoke up.

"Well, you clearly don't want to give up. Fine. As one warrior to another, let me show you one of my Clan's most interesting techniques." Knuckles told Omega, holding up his palm as a large slab of stone suddenly appeared in it. He held his fist up, and then with rapid-fire strikes, spiked bullets made from the stone shot out each time he struck it, forcing Omega to swerve around and dodge as Knuckles smiled with pride, "The Pink" sparkling around his head.

Unfortunately, since he kept missing, the strikes DID slam into the ground over and over, tearing up the whole place.

"AH! Knuckles!" Rouge yelled out.

"Don't go a-tearin' up the street, big guy!" Vector insisted.

"Yeah boss, it's a pain for us to clean up later!" Ray agreed.

'Tear up? Tear up?" Knuckles asked. "Destruction and Creation are two sides of the same coin! They are part of the Balance of the world that we must uphold!" He roared out, rising up on a pedestal for some reason as the famous Knuckles clan's "Pink" sparkled all around him and he held himself up proudly...making everyone else sweatdrop at how he was wasting magical power to allow a pedestal to be formed and a random spotlight to suddenly shoot up from the ground to illuminate him.

"...our hero, ladies and gentlemen." Rouge remarked.

"If you were a Metallurgist you wouldn't think me so crazy. I think a fellow man of magic knows what I say...or rather, mechanical monstrosity of magic." He looked over in Omega's direction.

"Yes...yes, he's right." Tails realized. "He's using the rarely-used element of Darkness in his attacks! No WONDER we were so scared...Darkness naturally invokes negative emotions like fear and terror from others..."

"The hypocrite...ranting against magic when he uses it himself..." Ray murmured.

Meanwhile, Knuckles was rushing in at Omega, punching and jabbing with his fists, moving as smoothly as the flow of rain from the heavens. The robot did all he could to dodge and swerve away, avoiding the attacks as best he could as a burning pink aura surrounded Knuckles's body, turning his fur to a slightly lighter shade of red...almost...

"So much...pink..." Omega murmured as he dodged an uppercut. "This echinda's swings are powerful and he's fast for his size...and then there's those magic techniques of his..." He jumped into the air as Knuckles punched into the ground, sending enormous, metal-coated spikes up from the road. "He's very dangerous, but he keeps on getting in close...and when he swings too wide..." He thought to himself.

Suddenly Knuckles raised his arm. This was it. Omega was about to rush forward and grab with his claws to perform his technique when Knuckles suddenly stepped backwards...

And Omega realized why as he saw something out of the corner of his eye. He moved too slowly...

**BANG!-BANG!-BANG!**

A chest compartment's top was blown off by Rouge's rifle shots and they saw something...something that made their eyes widen. There was no creature inside this robot. No living thing driving it like with Gamma. This was a pure machine, powered by the unmistakable power source...of a very large, glittering multicolored ring. This was a Life Ring from Shanazar.

"A Shanazaran?" Knuckles gasped as Rouge blinked in surprise.

"...perhaps...there are too many of you." Omega murmured.

"You're surrounded. You can't escape." Shadow told him firmly.

Or so he thought. Omega raised his hand up and then drove it into the road. THA-THROOOOOOOM! A scream of a thousand voices filled the air as dark smoke obscured their vision. They all coughed and coughed as the smoke finally faded away to reveal...he'd blown a hole open in the road and had escaped through the sewers.

"Dammit. He's gone. I'm...I'm sorry I screwed up." Knuckles told Rouge. "I should have given you a better shot."

"No, I should have aimed a bit higher." Rouge apologized, shaking her head as Sonic ran over to Tails.

"Oh, is it over?" Mighty asked, sitting atop the car.

"What the hell!? Where were YOU?" Shadow wanted to know.

"Hiding. I've got a wife and kids to worry over, remember?"

"You could have, I dunno, THROWN YOUR KNIVES OR SOMETHING!!!" Shadow snapped at him. "We needed the help!"

"Don't go dragging me into this, I don't have the powers you Metallurgists have, I'm just good with a shiv!" Mighty protested. "Don't just stand there!" He told the guards. "Circulate his description to the people in the city and let's go get him!"

"Brother? Miles, Miles you okay?" Sonic asked.

Tails whacked him in the face and Sonic blinked. It didn't actually hurt, but the blow itself was stunning. "You IDIOT!" Tails roared at him. "You stupid, stupid IDIOT!"

"Hey, don't talk to your brother like-" Sonic began.

Tails grabbed the sides of his head, and he sounded on the verge of tears. "I'll talk to you how I feel! You need to stay **alive**! You're the one with the skill, you need to find a way to get or bodies back! You need to find a way to save people like Maria and Dulcy! I won't let you put yourself in danger just because of ME!" Tails screamed at him. "You...you stupid jerk!"

"...yeah...we look terrible...don't we?" Sonic asked, sighing. "...but we're ALIVE, aren't we?" He asked.

"Yeah...we're alive." Tails admitted as the clouds above them began to slowly dissolve away, and sunlight began to poke through to illuminate the land. "...we're alive."

...

...

...

...everyone was sitting together in Shadow's office as Heavy and Bomb sat on a couch, a guitar in Heavy's hands as Shadow folded his arms and turned to look over at them, with Tails's open "wounds" covered by thick bandages and Sonic's currently-cursed arm similarly covered. He was unable to use it now...it was as if the entire thing had been cut off from his shoulder.

"So...who were the Shanazarans?" Sonic wanted to know.

Heavy began to strum on the guitar as Bomb cleared his throat. "Okay, go ahead, explain." Shadow said, sighing.

_**In 1649, in Shanazar...Robots of every single make came from near and far,  
They defied their masters, they defied the laws, and they said**_

_**"**__**We only ask for what is ours. We come in peace", they said  
"To dig and sow...we will work the land in common****, and we'll make this desert grow! **_

_**What was divided...we will make whole! So Earth can be a common treasury for aaaaall!**_

_**The sin of property we do disdain...No one has any right to buy and sell the earth for private gain!  
By theft and murder, they took the lands...now everywhere the walls rise up at their command!**_

_**You made the laaaaws to chain us well! Your clergy dazzle us with heaven or they damn us into hell!**_

_**We will not worship...The God you serve...The God of greed who feeds the rich while poor men starve!**_

_**We will live together without swords! We will not bow to masters or even to your Lord!  
**_

_**Our souls are human, our bodies steel...but we swear that we will make our dream come real!**_

_**From the men at Central...the orders came...they sent out all their troopers to wipe out the Robot's claim!  
**_

_**Their heads were crushed! Their limbs were torn! They were dispersed: Only their vision lingers ooooonnn!**_

"And that's who the Shanazarans-" Shadow began.

_**You poor take courage...  
You rich take care...  
The Earth was made a common treasury  
For EVERYONE to share,  
All things in common...  
All people one...  
"We come in peace"...  
The order came to cut them doooown!**_

"...OKAY. We get it." Shadow told Heavy. He sighed, then turned back to Sonic. "They were all robotic citizens. Pure through and through. They felt that the Earth should be kept pure and unspoiled, and that it was important not to get involved with Magic, to leave it be and to focus not on building big cities but in being farmers and tenders of the soil. Central City ordered a crackdown on them after several incidents led up to a tourist couple getting killed in the city. Robot blamed Robot and a civil war broke out. Central tried to send in troops to put this down, but one uprising led to another and soon all of the nation of Shanazar was united against Central, demanding that they leave. And in response..."

"The MAN issued an extermination campaign." Heavy finished with bitterness.

"WHAT?" Tails gasped.

"Dr. Eggman ordered the nation to be put down for **good**, and State Metallurgists were to be brought in as weapons against the Shanazarans. We did..." Shadow folded his hands in his laps and sighed slightly. "...we did our job very...very well." He murmured. "That's why there is some justification in seeing one of their kind take revenge."

"It's NOT justice." Sonic spoke up suddenly. "Not every State Metallurgist around nowadays took part in that campaign, did they? I know I didn't. The war wasn't right, but they lost. He should be focusing on forgiving, even if he can't forget...rather than continuing a cycle of hatred." He said firmly.

"The next time we see him...we kick his ass. Agreed?" Shadow asked.

Everyone in the room nodded. Mighty turned to Sonic. "Hey. Whatcha gonna do now?"

"...I think..." Sonic spoke up quietly. "It's time we started walking forward. But before we can do that, we need to make a trip back. We've got to get my brother's enchanted doll body repaired AND my arm de-cursed, and there's only two people we know who can do that...and for FREE..."

"So...you mean?" Tails spoke up.

"Yep. Time to head back to our friendly neighborhood White Mage!" Sonic laughed. "Won't Amy be surprised?"

* * *

ENDING CREDITS!

* * *

(Sonic and Tails are sitting underneath a tree in chibi form as a sun is setting in the distance. A single apple falls down into Sonic's hand and he catches it, looking it over.)

_**Ano hi mita sora akane iro no sora o nee kimi wa oboeteimasu ka**_

_**yakusoku chigiri shoka no kaze ga tsutsumu futari yori sottaaaa!**_

(Now a chibi version of Amy is seen sitting by a pink chao that looks like her. She pats it on the head as she waves to Sonic and Tails, who go flying by through the air, yellow and orange auras around them respectively)

_**Muri na egao no ura nobita kage o kakumau!**_

(Now the two go flying by Mighty, Shadow and Rouge, who wave at them. They wave back, then slam into Knuckles, not seeing where they're going.)

_**Dakara kizukanu furi saisei o erabu!**_

(Knuckles growls, then holds them into the air and tosses them off screen, letting out a roar as "The Pink" covers his body and he poses)

_**Teeburu no ue no furuenai shirase machi tsuzukete**_

(Tails is shown holding a picture of him, Sonic and Mom, head bowed, wishing he could cry.)

_**Kuuhaku no yoru mo kuru hazu no nai asa mo zenbu wakattetanda!**_

(Sonic holds up his hands and clenches them into fists. The rings on his wrists and legs glow brightly as his fur turns gold, and he rises into the air like a glowing bullet, ripping clouds to shreds)

_**Ano hi mita sora akane iro no sora o nee itsuka omoidasu deshou!**_

(Sonic and Tails fly past the various villains we've been introduced to, forcing them off the road they were walking on)

_**Hatase nakatta yakusoku o idaite futari arukidasuuu!**_

(A drawing of Sonic and Tails in chibi forms is now shown in the hands of the REAL Sonic, as Tails stands nearby, sighing, wishing that his brother had more talent considering how childish the drawings are)


	7. Homeward Bound and Hidden Truths

_The basic rule of all magic stems from one thing: the concept of Faith. In order to understand magic, you must be able to believe in it, pure and simple. _

_From thereon out, pure willpower and the elements around you are what bring out the best in Magic. The problem with magic is that you can only do so much with it and only if you follow it's rules. Life Magic is the most sacred of all, and for those who are not "chosen" to be given free rein over it, the consequences for attempting it..._

_Can leave eternal scars.

* * *

_

OPENING CREDITS-SEASON TWO

* * *

(Sonic and Tails stand together in a white abyss. They bow their heads, eyes closed.)

_**Masshiro na keshiki ni ima sasowarete!**_

(Then they whip around and slap each other high five as the title appears above them.)

_**Boku wa yuku yo mada minu sekai e!**_

(Sonic and Miles are sitting underneath a tree, Miles going over some notes on a little clipboard as he puts the pencil to his mouth, Sonic simply looking up at the sky, reaching out with his hands longingly.)

_**Maigo no mama...tabishiteta**_

_**nezumi iro no sora no shita!**_

_**higawari no chizu ikutsu mo no yume ga nijin de itaaaa!**_

(Shadow and the others at central all salute Eggman as he walks by, but the minute he leaves, they all look at each other, nod, then place their hands together, raising them up into the air in a fist.)

_**Itsukahasa!**_

_**Chippoke na boku no kono hohaba demo...**_

_**ano kumo no mukou made yukeeeeru kana!**_

_**Tsuyogatte, kizutsuita,**_

_**kokoro sukashita you ni...**_

_**furidashita ametsubu tachi ga...**_

_**ranhanansha kurikaesu!**_

(Sonic and Tails run side by side in a field as the vague outline of soon-to-be-revealed characters are seen, with the supporting cast running after them.)

_**Massugu na hikari ga chirabatte**_

_**ameagari no gogo ni**_

_**taba ni natte furisosogu!**_

_**Mugen no guradeeshon ga ima mazari atte!**_

(An image of the two brothers holding their hands up into the sky is shown as they try to grasp the sun.)

_**Kono sora no shita donna toko ni ite moooo...**_

_**Kanarazu todoku hazu sa mada minu sekai eeee!**_

**Episode Six:**

**Homeward Bound and Hidden Truths!**

**帰省と隠された秘密****!**

* * *

**CHOO-CHOOOO!**

"Welcome to Central Town! Next stop...East Town!...as soon as the engine's repaired." The conductor remarked nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. "So, uh...everyone just...take a break for an hour, alright?"

"Crummy-ass railways." Somebody complained.

"It's better than FLYING." Another person spoke up.

"I hate planes, trains and automobiles, I can't get the feelin' of the wind in my face and-" Sonic muttered, letting out a loud sneeze. "**HAH-CHOOOO**! There's so much **dust** on them. And then my brother collects all that dust." He mumbled. "...sigh. I can't BELIEVE you stuck him in "**luggage**" without his disguise!" He snapped at Knuckles.

"...I'm not gonna cry..." Tails thought to himself as he lay atop several boxes, squished underneath a trunk somebody had thrown on him. The contents, a man's private garments, had spilled out onto him and he didn't dare move or the solitary guard standing watch over the place would freak out and shoot at the "possessed doll". "I'm not gonna cry, I'm not gonna cryyyy..."

Knuckles rolled his eyes. "Hey, look, it was cheaper than sticking...huh?" He suddenly shoved Sonic's head down, ignoring the hedgehog's protest and looking out the window of the train that had just come. He gasped at the sight of a dark violent Maine Coon cat with yellow eyes, long ears, a big white muzzle and a very hairy white chest. He was wearing a plain coat with fishing tackle dangling out of his pockets, and was very tall...

And frickin' FAT. As he walked by a nearby Chihuahua that was about to whizz on a fire hydrant, the small dog began to circle through the air around the cat before finally being tossed into a nearby bush, moaning.

"B-BIG?!?" Knuckles called out. "**Big**, is that really you?" He asked, purple eyes widening.

Big heard his voice called out. He turned his head, saw Knuckles, and shrieked, running off into the town. Knuckles immediately dragged Sonic after him.

"Hey! Wh-what're you doing? Who are we going after?!" Sonic wanted to know.

"That was Big, the **Lifeline Metallurgist**! He's an old war buddy from the Shanazaran campaign!" Knuckles told him, rushing into luggage, grabbing Tails and running out, leaving the guard stunned. "The government told us he'd died YEARS ago!"

"You wanna check up with old war buddies-wait...died?!" Sonic was confused. Now he and Knuckles ran through the town with Tails in his other hand's grasp. "Why would they lie about that?"

"That's what I'D like to know!" Knuckles muttered. "He used to be one of the best medical alchemists around...he was a "Chosen", capable of using _Bios_!"

At THAT, Sonic's eyes glittered, and he grinned. "Now THAT'S more like it! What're we waiting for? Let's go find him!"

...

...

...

...well...they found his home. It was a small little shack by the beach, and he sat out on the porch, arms folded, head bowed. His eyes closed, taking deep breaths, he tried to speak up.

"Mr. Knuckles, I'm happy to see you're alright, but...I don't want to leave this place." He mumbled.

"What?" Knuckles blinked a few times.

"I have to stay out here where I can do some good n' stuff." Big murmured. "I did bad things." He held his gloved hands over his face and Sonic realized that he was on the verge of crying. "...what they asked me to do back in...back in that...that HORRIBLE war...I HAD to take what I could with me...make sure nobody else could do the terrible things I'd done."

"...what exactly did you do?" Sonic wanted to know, blinking a few times, looking over at his own decayed, cursed arm.

"They wanted me...oh..." Big finally began to cry. "I never WANTED to get involved, but I got drafted! And Momma said to go and do the patriotic thing and...and then I ended up workin' on...on that HORRIBLE little..." He wiped his eyes on his arm. "I want to stay here and fish the rest of my life away. I never wanna go back ta what I was doin' before..."

"What were you **DOING**?" Sonic asked again.

Big bit his lip, then motioned for them to step inside. They found themselves in a very small room with a bed in the far corner and a small desk near a bunch of strange jars that held various pickled fish. One jar had a cover over it that prevented them from seeing exactly what was inside. Moving past a small table that had some foodstuffs on it, Big picked this jar up and cleared the foodstuffs off the table, placing the jar down.

He opened it up. Bright green filled the room, making Knuckles, Tails and Sonic gasp. He poured out what appeared to be a liquid onto the table...but it didn't dissolve into the wood. Instead, it accumulated into the form of a small, green gem.

**"A Chaos Emerald?!"** Sonic whispered.

"The Chaos Emeralds. Capable of turning thoughts into power. They can make anything become real." Big murmured. "It's like somethin' from a dream. These are fake 'n stuff, but...still got a lotta bang, y'know?" He told them all.

Sonic nodded, remembering how Snivelley had used one of these fakes. And it had no doubt proven it's use in the Shanazaran campaign. But if something as powerful as that could be made...the chance was possible. A real, genuine, chaos emerald. Something that had the potential to get their old forms back...to make everything right.

"Big, I gotta see your research!" Sonic insisted, clenching his fist and holding it up.

"...I can't." Big said, picking up the gem and putting it back in the jar, then placing the jar back in it's place as Sonic blinked stupidly a few times.

"...well why NOT?!" Sonic wanted to know, an angry glare on his face.

"Don't you know how dangerous-" Then Big looked over at Tails. REALLY looked at him. His eyes quickly widened as he looked at the "doll" who was in Knuckles's grip...who nodded sadly.

"...so you...you did "it"." Big remarked quietly. "...no wonder ya want the Chaos Emerald. I..." He looked away. "...I'm SORRY." He told them sadly. "...I...I can't. I just..."

"...Sonic..." Knuckles held a hand up. "...let's go. He needs to be alone, I think."

"...fine." Sonic muttered, as he, Tails and Knuckles headed out the door, leaving Big alone in the dark shack. Big bowed his head, gritting his teeth and clenching his fists. Finally he reached out and grabbed ahold of the jar that held the emerald, opening up the top as the bright gem cast it's rays of light around the shack. Big's brow furrowed...

"WAIT!" He called out, rushing after them. Sonic turned around to see Big panting heavily, holding onto a small manila envelope. "Listen...here..." Sonic took the envelope as Big rubbed the back of his neck. "That's...where you'll find all you wanna know. If you're as smart as I thinks you are, ya might learn the truth...ALL of the truths." He told Sonic firmly, his eyes becoming like glittering yellow gems.

Sonic nodded firmly. "Thank you." He told Big. "I really do appreciate this." As he, Knuckles and Tails turned to leave, he turned to Knuckles. "Are you gonna blab to your bosses about this?"

"Me? Talk to them about a plain, ordinary _fisherman_?" Knuckles rolled his eyes, and Sonic and Tails laughed.

Big stood there for a long time at the beach, watching them head back to the train. He sighed slightly, then headed back for his shack. He stepped inside, turning around to close the door...

Then stiffened. He'd seen something...somebody...in the corner.

A familiar being with eggplant-colored hair.

_"Hello kitty cat."_ Sonia commented cheerily, stepping out of the shadows.

...

...

...

... "Doo-dee-doo-dee-doo..." Amy was wiping off the top of her Piko-Piko hammer, singing to herself. "Wild thang!" She laughed, swiping the rag around and spinning it in the air. "Ya make my heart sang! Da-da, da-da-da! Ya make every-thang! Da-da, da-da-da!" She slapped the rag against the hammer, finally finishing up the last pieces of it. "Groovaaaay!" She sang out, holding the finished product up in the air as the gold and red-painted hammer glistened in the light of her workshop.

"Amyyyyy! Guess who's baaaaaack!?" Tiara called out, making Amy's eyes widen. It...it couldn't be...but it was!

"Hey there, Tiara." Sonic spoke up, walking down the path to her home as Knuckles walked after him, having hoisted Tails onto his shoulder. "What's happening?"

"What's happening with YOU?" Tiara wanted to know, placing her hands on her hips and giving him a look. "You never write, you never call, you only come when you want something fixed. You're worse than an ex-husband and just as fat!" She commented.

"Call...me...fat...ONE...MORE...TIME..." Sonic growled, his eyes glittering as he and Tiara took up battle poses, flames rising up from them.

"Bring it, blue britches." Tiara whispered, eyes glittering evilly. "I'll take you on **ANY TIME!**"

"I won't hold back cuz you're a girl!"

"Well if **I **don't mind hitting a girl, why should-"

**PIKO-POWER!**

Amy's hammer whizzed through the air and struck Sonic square on the noggin. He groaned and fell t the ground as Amy planted her own fists on her hips. "You big JERK! You haven't called us in AGES!"

"Are you TRYIN' to get me killed! THAT COULDA **KILLED** ME, WOMAN!" Sonic yelled, shaking his fist at Amy.

"Oh, Sonniku, you make me _laugh_!" Amy laughed, giggling happily as Knuckles smiled politely at Tiara.

"Tiara's the name." Tiara said, nodding her head firmly. "And you are?"

"Knuckles the Echidna. Very nice to meet you." He said, taking her hand and kissing it as they all headed inside.

As Sonic held up the rings, Amy looked them over. "Auuuuuuuhhhh." She moaned. "Look at all of thiiiiis." She whined, hanging her head. "These were a gift from Chaos himself and you expect me to just...up and PATCH THEM TOGETHER?!" She asked, a dark glint entering her eye.

"Yeah, and if you can do that in twenty minutes or less, that'll be swell." Sonic wisecracked.

**PIKO-POWER!**

"One of these days you're gonna kill me with that thing!" Sonic moaned as he nursed a very large bump atop his head.

"And YOU got yourself screwed up too, huh!?" She asked Tails.

"Ohboy." Tails whimpered.

**PIKO-POWER!  
**

"Ow-ow-ow-ow!" Tails moaned, holding HIS head. "Amy, it's not OUR fault!...most of the time it's just SONIC'S!"

"HEY!" Sonic yelled, shaking his fist.

"_Ohhh, the things I do for love."_ Amy mumbled to herself. "We'll do this."

"Can you have it done in a week?" Sonic wanted to know.

Tiara took out a small cigarette and lit it up with a small Mario-shaped lighter from her pocket, flipping the hat off so a small flame popped out of Mario's skull at the top. "...three days." She remarked. "We'll have to make those rings we used on Tails from scratch and get some specially-crafted ones for you with His blessing, but give us some credit. Three days at the most." She commented with a grin.

"Which means three nights of fasting, praying, studying the texts..." Amy thought to herself, rubbing her chin.

"I'm sorry putting all this weight on you." Sonic admitted, hanging his head in shame.

"It's fine, really." Amy laughed, shaking her head. "But YOU...owe me a date in exchange for when this is over."

Sonic gulped. "_Ohboy_."

...

...

...

... "HIYAAAAAAH!" Knuckles roared out, leaping into the air and bringing his fist down on a large log. It cracked into pieces and he quickly delivered a harsh and mighty set of blows to the chunks that flew up, carving them into big slabs. "Perfect!" He commented cheerily, bowing at Tiara, who caught all of the logs. "The patented Knuckles Clan method for success: everything can be solved by using your fists just the right way!"

Tiara smiled as she leaned against the nearby railing to the front steps to the door, arms folded. "Not bad, not bad." She told the echidna in an approving manner. "...but...why are you covered in pink sparkles?"

"That too is a passed-down tradition of the Knuckles Clan. **Only real men wear pink**, you know." Knuckles informed her, looking proud. He then rubbed his chin. "Say, where's Sonic gone off to?"

"He said he was going to his mother's grave." Tiara said. "...sigh. Reminds me of the day he burnt their old house down."

"Why'd they do that?" Knuckles wanted to know, raising an invisible eyebrow.

"I suppose so that they could keep moving forward...never have any home to go back to. It was meant to force them to look to the future. At least, that's what Tails said." Tiara told the echidna.

"You really care about them, huh?" Knuckles remarked as he and Tiara walked inside and Tiara headed for the living room, walking past Amy's door as she sat Indian-style on the floor, hands clasped in prayer, sweat pouring down her brow.

"I've been watching over them for a long time." Tiara admitted. "Almost half of how long I've been living here. Their dad was the one who delivered me when the doctor couldn't come!" Tiara laughed.

"Oh, you...you look rather young." He admitted.

"Ah, I know. But I'm older, really. I'm 35." Tiara laughed. "I only look young cuz I've got skill in _Zoe_, the same way Amy does." She informed Knuckles.

"...this reminds me...where are Sonic and Tail's father? And Amy's parents?" Knuckles wanted to know.

"...they died in the Shanazaran campaign. My son...he and his wife were Metallurgists as well. They had _Bios_ skill in them and were gifted mechanics to boot. They were sent to the front lines and healed up ANY patients they got. It didn't matter if they were Shanazar citizens or our own men. But...they died out there." Tiara murmured. "...they were very...I..." She bit her lip. "...I miss them very much." She whispered. "But Amy's managed to endure the loss...and so must I. Just as Sonic and Tails have to endure the loss of their mother."

Knuckles closed his eyes and folded his arms. "...yes. It...it was a terrible war. A terrible, _terrible_ war..." He whispered.

...

...

...

... "Hail Mary, Mother of God, Hail Mary, Mother of God, Hail Mary, Mother of God..." Tiara prayed over and over as she stood underneath a waterfall, hands clasped together in prayer, wearing the plain white clothes of an acolyte.

"...so THIS is what goes into it." Sonic commented as he rubbed his cursed arm.

"Could be worse. She could have to flagellate herself like Amy does." Knuckles told him.

"WHAAAAA!?!?" Sonic screamed.

"Kidding." Knuckles laughed.

"Well what DOES she do?" Sonic wanted to know.

"Eee-may-pay-soo-doh-mee-nay! Doh-mah-pay-ees-ray-quee-em!" Amy chanted, whacking her head with a bible over and over as she walked in circles around a small ring that was beginning to glow brighter and brighter every hour.

"Sometimes I HATE magic's cost. I really, really hate it." Tails decided. "Amy, you keep doing that, you're going to, to quote Mighty, "Bust your head until the white meat shows."

Mighty suddenly sat up from the dinner table, and his wife and daughter gave him a concerned look. "What's wrong?"

"I sense...a disturbance." He whispered.

...

...

...

... "It's aaaaaaaall finished!" Amy said, placing the new rings on Sonic's wrists. "Now listen, I did all the steps correctly, but Chaos appeared to me last night and said he wanted to test you. There's gonna be something of a handicap to your abilities." She informed Sonic as Tails, who had returned back to his normal appearance, looked himself over in the mirror, as Knuckles held a thumbs up in approval.

"Feels good...what's this "handicap"?" Sonic wanted to know as he did a few hand-stands in front of them all.

Amy brushed some of her hair out of her eyes. "You'll be able to heal faster from your wounds, but unfortunately some of your power had to be be sacrificed." She informed him sagely, waving a finger in the air. "So BE-CAREFUL-OUT-THERE." She insisted.

"Heh." Tiara thought to herself as she blew another ring of smoke from her cigarette. "Too bad it's gonna get so quiet around here again." She thought to herself as Sonic ran outside to go test out his arm.

Tails then motioned for him and Amy to go into the next room, and the two sat down, with Tails folding his hands in his lap.

"Listen...Amy..." He sighed. "...I want to thank you. For everything you've done for us. You've treated Sonic and I like we're your real family."

"You guys ARE totally like my family. Well...Sonniku might be something else..." Amy admitted quietly, twirling a lock of her hair.

"Sonic's got kind of an ego problem. He hates looking weak in front of others." Tails told her. "But I know how grateful HE is to know somebody like you." He added. "You're...you're so good to him."

"It's okay." Tiara remarked, stepping into the room. "He doesn't need to say it. I can see it in his eyes...and yours too." She added. "A will to keep moving forward...that same will that helped pick you up when you fell before."

...

...

...

... "You..." Big whispered in horror, his entire body shaking. "...how...how did you..."

"You know, Big...I am very, very disappointed in you." She said in a condescending tone, waving her finger in the air. "Makin' me go aaaaall the way down here to the STICKS." She rolled her eyes. "But I followed you with my heart, Big. And the heart..." She placed one hand upon her chest, speaking ravishly. **"THE HEART IS A LONELY HUNTER!"** She proclaimed.

Big backed up against the wall. "I thought you woulda just forgotten about me...you stinking, lousy-"

Sonia snapped her fingers and suddenly the hair atop her head shot out like snakes, wrapping around Big and bringing him close. She whispered darkly in his ear, eyes narrowed. "You just made a BIG mistake, big-boy. If some NORMAL schmuck saw that info you handed out, no biggie. But somebody as smart as Sonic and his brother...that's trouble. I WON'T let him bring down the whole operation."

"Oh, you WON'T, huh?!" Big muttered angrily, eyes glittering as he reached with one hand into the fishing tackle in his pocket. "Too bad I'm sayin' differently! HA!"

His hand rushed up and slashed at her throat, and a large fishing hook found it's way into her throat, as blood splurted out and she was forced to let go of Big, stepping back as Big grinned proudly, seeing her hold her throat. "HA! Betcha weren't 'spectin'..."

His eyes widened in horror. "...that..." He gasped out.

Her throat was stitching back up right before his eyes, returning to normal as she moved her head back and forth like she was on a string. "How RUUUUDE." She commented. "You made me DIE once. Naughty, NAUGHTY kitty. Now I'm gonna hafta punish you!" She whispered.

The door to the shack opened. "Big, I caught you your favorite fish just like you always like-" A young human girl spoke up, stepping into the shack.

"Ah, no, Kerry-" Big shouted.

THWAM! Kerry was slammed to the wall as Sonia walked over to her, her hair holding the child in place as she caressed the girl's cheek, the fish the girl had caught for Big flopping on the floor. "Bringing him a present? Such a sweet little girl you are. Oh big-bad-putty taaaaat." She cheerily sang out, turning to Big, wrapping one hand around the girl's neck. "You KNOW what will happen if I squeeze, don't you?" She whispered.

"Leave her be! She ain't done nothin'!" Big tearfully begged.

"That's not what I want to heaaaaaaar!" Sonia sang out. "...TELL ME, "puddy tat"." She whispered darkly.

"...I...I hid everything in...in..." Big whimpered.

...

...

...

...well...at Central City's library...

"SONOFABIIIIIIITCH!" Sonic moaned, holding his arm over his face as he screamed to the heavens, a shocked/horrified Knuckles and Tails standing by him. "All the research nooooootes!"

"Was that all you did today?" The Biolizard asked Sonia as they sat atop a rooftop diner, looking out over the city. "I mean, I like to see things burn too, but..."

"We couldn't have him finding out about those notes, Biolizard." She told him kindly, shaking her head before patting him on HIS. "Now that that's good and outta the way, we can go back to takin' care of business...huh?" She noticed Biolizard's feral eyes had turned to slits and he was sniffing the air. "What is it?"

"I smell him...that metal warrior drenched in blood..." Biolizard whispered darkly, eyes widening in awe.

"Well...isn't THAT a treat!" Sonia giggled, holding one gloved hand over her mouth. "That is like, SUCH a pleasant surprise!"

"Can I eat him?" He asked.

"Don't leave one strand of HAIR." Sonia commented calmly.

Meanwhile, Sonic, Tails and Knuckles were being accosted by two more of Shadow's men. Or rather, one man and one woman. One was a green-feathered hawk with bright blue eyes, a pair of goggles on his head and a sharp yellow beak. He had a cocky grin to his features and red and white boots. Standing next to him was a purple-feathered female swallow with two long trails of hair going down from the white cap she wore atop her head, with a pair of tinted orange sunglasses at her forehead and the same bright blue eyes as her partner. These were Jet and Wave, two of a trio of Avian sapients who worked in Central.

"Good to see you, Jet...I guess." Sonic remarked. He kind of felt that Jet was a pain in the ass. And Tails frowned at the sight of Wave. She had a bad habit of pointing out how Tails couldn't properly shake hands with anyone...or eat. Or drink. Or sleep. He was unsure how much of that was done with...what was the term...oh, right. "Malice aforethought".

"Hello. Wave." Tails commented, folding his arms.

"Soniiiic." Jet said with a big grin. "We've been assigned to take you to somebody who can help you out with all of this." He said, motioning for them to head towards a grouping of things that rather much looked like...surfboards. Only they had unmistakable glowing engines beneath them and were hovering in the middle of the sidewalk.

Mounting their respective "Extreme Gears", all of them headed down the road as Wave began to explain the situation. "Luckily for you there was somebody who's been working at that Library for YEARS." She told Sonic and Tails as they jumped over a car whose owner angrily honked at them. "He lives down the street."

"We found him ourselves." Jet added.

"So we're...in your debt?" Sonic asked.

"Yes. Yes you are." Jet laughed, sniggering.

"Stinkin' chicken." Sonic muttered.

"Wanna run that by me AGAIN?!" Jet demanded to know, slowing down his Extreme Gear so that he and Sonic could be floating side-by-side.

"KENTUCKY-FRIED! **BUK-KAAAAAW!**" Sonic screamed in his face, pretending to wave his arms like he was a rooster.

"Knock it off or I'll knock YOU off!" Knuckles admonished the two.

...

...

...

... "Pleasure to meet you sir. Absolute pleasure." The blue-haired human insisted, adjusting the sunglasses he wore before shaking Sonic's hand thoroughly. "Robbie Dennis's the name. But call me "Wax"." He insisted, adjusting the shiny black leather jacket he wore.

"Why "The Wax"?" Sonic wanted to know.

"Do I LOOK like a "Robert"?" The Wax laughed, shaking his head as he headed over to a nearby bookcase in his enormous living room, taking out a key from a nearby mason jar and leading them over to the basement door. "Now...prepare...TO BE AMAZED." He informed them all, opening up the basement door and flicking the light on.

**Hallelujah! Hallelujah! **

"Woah." Sonic gasped. There, in the enormous basement below, which appeared to stretch on for hundreds of feet, were tons and tons of notebooks and various tomes. Tails walked down to one pile, looking over the top. "...is...is this?"

"I spent so much time in the library I decided to just copy down everything. Some magic helped, but mostly it was long nights. Not like I had a social life!" The Wax said, laughing so hard he actually began to cry.

"Well, uh...let's...get looking through this, huh, Tails?" Sonic asked his brother, who nodded eagerly.

The others sat upstairs as The Wax got to work on pouring them all some different drinks. "So what do you think it is they're looking for?" Knuckles asked The Wax.

"Well, you said they were interested in Mr. Big's research, right?" The Wax thought out loud, sipping a forty as Sonic began to comb through a large notebook, his eyes widening slowly but surely.

"Yeah."

"Well, I don't know DIDDLY about religious texts, but from what I gathered, it had something to do with the importance of the soul." He took another long sip. "Maybe some...I dunno, some magic spell that has to do with one's purity? Isn't that how a "Chosen" is picked to wield Life Magic? You can't be evil AND a white-"

"**JESUS CHRIST!"** Sonic's scream bellowed out from the basement.

The others looked at each other, then ran downstairs to see Sonic had slammed his fist into the wall and Tails was holding his head in his eyes, his eyes widened in horror.

"What's wrong, guys? You ain't fightin', are you? Did Big write so illegibly you can't figure it out?" The Wax wanted to know. "I mean, some of these big-shot textbook writers are-"

"No, we...we understood the code he put down. We "got" the writing." Tails murmured. "...we know what's needed to make a Chaos Emerald."

The other's eyes widened in awe...save for Knuckles, who blinked a few times. "What's...wrong with that?" He wanted to know. "...isn't this a good thing?"

"...to make one chaos emerald..." Sonic whispered darkly, resting against the wall, clenching his fists and slamming them into said wall as he grit his teeth. Silence now reigned supreme throughout the room.

"All you gotta do...is simply take...**the** **souls of innocent people!**" Sonic screamed.

**Author's Note:  
I dedicate this particular season to "TheWax70", who founded the sonic cartoons that so inspired me. Check his work out on or on Sonic Paradox. **


	8. To Become a God of Science

_The Chaos Emeralds. _

_It is a thing of immeasurable power. It grants joy to the suffering, victory to those on the verge of defeat, life to the dead...shining like a star in the hands of it's wielder, it possesses the power to turn one's thoughts into reality. It makes the impossible possible. Men honor it and worship what it can do. People believe it to be a gift from God._

_Yet what is required to make it..._

_Is the work of the Devil._

**Episode Seven: **

**To Become A God...of SCIENCE!**

**科学の神になるには****!**

**

* * *

**

"...you...you gotta be shittin' me." The Wax said.

"Are you serious?" Jet wanted to know.

"No way..." Wave murmured.

Knuckles held his hand up to his mouth. He seemed to horrified for words.

"...it's true. To make a chaos emerald...you need to rip the soul out of somebody's body..." Sonic said as he, Tails and the others all sat in the basement. Tails had his arm over his face and Sonic was rubbing the space between his eyes. "Worst of all...to make just ONE of them...you need a lot of people. A LOT." Sonic muttered balefully, eyes narrowed into hateful slits. He looked like he was on the verge of screaming again.

"I can't believe it...that the military would allow such a disgusting practice to take place for ANY reason..." Jet hissed hatefully, clenching his fist.

"It's absolutely unpardonable." The Wax decided.

"...this **sucks**." Sonic muttered. "...just when we think it's within reach, it slips away from us. I guess God really DOESN'T help people who try to help themselves." He said, laughing dryly as Tails lowered his head.

"We could be stuck like this forever..." Tails muttered as he walked off to the far end of the basement. Sonic blinked a few times, then walked over to him, away from the others...and he placed a gloved hand on his brother's shoulder, speaking very softly.

"...Miles...look...there's somethin' I always wanted to talk to you about, but...I ain't never mentioned it before cuz I was scared..." Sonic told him.

"It's just terrible, isn't it, Knuckles?" Wave asked. "...uh...Knuckles?" She asked, looking at Knuckles in confusion. "What's wrong?"

"To think..." Knuckles murmured, clenching his hands into tight fists. "To think that such a tragedy would be concealed...to think the Chaos Emeralds would need human SOULS for their creation!" He roared out, and Tails and Sonic's conversation was interrupted as everybody jumped away from Knuckles, as he held his fists up, burning flames rising around him as sparks soared into the air. **"To think that the military would cover up the truth like this!"** He howled.

The truth.

THE TRUTH.

A horror struck through Sonic and he gasped. They turned to look at him, Knuckles turning his head, the flames dying down again. "What's shakin, bacon?" The Wax wanted to know.

"Big said I'd be able to uncover "ALL of the truths"...there's something we're missing. Something else. What we've seen is only a part of the truth. There's got to be SOMETHING else..." He rubbed his chin.

"...wait." Tails suddenly spoke up. "I've got it. We need a map of Central and all of it's laboratories!" He insisted, slamming his fist into his palm.

...

...

...

...soon all of them were sitting in The Wax's living room, with an enormous map of Central City sprayed out over a big coffee table. Knuckles pointed around at certain parts of the map with his hand, looking at Tails and Sonic. "There's four metallurgy laboratories within Central City. From what I remember, Big was working at the Third Laboratory. THAT one's the most suspect."

"...hmm. Wait. What about THIS one?" Sonic asked, pointing at one that was crossed out on the map.

"Oh, that's the Fifth Laboratory." Wave said, holding up a snazzy metal clipboard and looking through it. "...but according to the military reports, they're not doing anything special there. In fact, the whole place has been shut down for years." She went on as Tails rubbed his chin, looking the Fifth Laboratory over. "The whole place is unsafe, condemned."

"THAT'S where we need to go." Tails said.

"...you're right." Sonic realized. "...those sick, sick bastards. Look what's right next to it!" He told them all.

He pointed with a finger and they saw, all too clearly, that there was a PRISON next to the laboratory...in fact, the lab was jointly connected with it. "I'd bet ANYTHING those sick fucks were using prisoners for experiments...officially, you could say that they were executed, and in a way...they WERE..." Sonic went on.

"Experiments in making-" Wave suddenly blanched when she realized exactly what Sonic was talking about and The Wax ran for the waste basket. Unfortunately, he didn't make it.

"Ah, you had McDonalds for lunch too?" Sonic commented as The Wax let out a long moan.

"We really SHOULD stop going there. That food is so **bad** for you!" Tails sighed.

"In any case...do you think that if they allowed prisoners from OTHER prisons to be used in..." Jet began. And suddenly HE became sick.

"I think we stumbled onto something immensely **disgusting**. If the government itself is involved in this..._oooohhhh_." Knuckles shook his head, holding his hand over his eyes.

"Well, what are we to do?" The Wax asked as he popped some "Tums" and sat down on a nearby chair as Jet groaned from near the bathroom nearby.

"I'll look into this." Knuckles said, wrapping the map back up. "Jet, Wave, Robert...you are to speak of this to NOBODY. I mean absolutely NOBODY." He told them firmly. "Sonic...Tails..." He told the two teenage boys. "I need you to behave yourselves and stay here until I can get a bead on this."

"...uh...WHAT?" Sonic asked.

Suddenly Knuckles was towering over them, eyes flaring with red fire, muscles bulging, growling in their faces. "You weren't thinking about BREAKING IN, were you?!" He hissed at them, grinding very sharp-looking teeth as Tails and Sonic gulped and waved their hands in the air.

"Oh, NO! No sir, not at all!" Tails insisted.

"Yeah, you don't gotta worry about us!" Sonic stuttered out.

"...you're sure?" Knuckles growled, eyes dark slits, arms folded.

Sonic smiled innocently as he and Tails put their arms around each other, crossing their fingers behind each other's back. "Don't worry, Knux. It's the LAST thing on our minds."

...

...

....

... "Do you think we'll go to hell for this?" Tails wondered as they slunk through the alley towards the Fifth Laboratory.

"We'll make up for this by going to Confession later. And somewhere OUTSIDE this dumb city." Sonic told him.

"...okay, AND we'll give an orphan twenty bucks." Sonic added.

"Thanks. I feel much better." Tails admitted nervously as they finally reached the corner of the ominous Fifth Laboratory. The entire place was an enormous, dome-covered building of hard, cold steel, with enormous front gates that had a big, red "Keep Out" sign at the front. There were tall stone walls all around the laboratory to protect anybody from getting into the large courtyards, and a guard was stationed at the front gate, resting against it, rifle slung across his back.

"Hmm. A guard posted at an unused building. _**Suuuussspiiiicioooouuuuus**_!" Sonic sang out quietly as they moved to the far end of the wall, away from the guard.

"We can't just use magic. They'd see the light from the spell." Tails told him. "...but..." He smiled. "Luckily, you have me."

He grabbed ahold of Sonic and began to lift him into the air, huffing slightly. "Oohhhhhh. Sonic...PLEASE promise me you'll lose some weight!" He begged.

Sonic gave him an angry look as Tails continued to fly him upwards into the air, over into the courtyard. The two touched down at last and Sonic and Tails made their way over to the main building, noticing a vent shaft. "I'll go check out the inside, and if it's safe, I'll make an entrance for you. I don't think anybody would see the light from a spell now that we're protected by that courtyard wall." He told Tails as he carefully opened up the vent.

"Okay. I'll wait out here until you're ready." Tails told him, nodding firmly and helping him get inside the vent. He watched his brother's form slowly recede into the dark recesses of the vent shaft, sighing slightly before he went to go sit by the wall, calmly waiting.

"Ugh." Sonic mumbled as he continued to shimmy through the vent shaft, one foot at a time. The entire place had a disgusting smell that was musty and warm, and there were dozens of cobwebs lining everywhere. "I freakin' HATE spiders." He muttered as he kept going further. "It would be so much easier to move through this thing if it wasn't so hard for me to move my limbs...and I have to keep sucking in my gut or else I'll be stuck in place!" He added. "Times like this I wish I-"

He then realized what he had been about to say and then banged his head against the vent slightly, moaning in self-hate. "Guuuuhhhh...I said I was _FAAAAAAAT_..."

BA-BAAAAAAM! His body fell out of the vent shaft and landed on the floor of a hallway below. He just lay there for a moment, wishing to just die before he finally groaned and got up, dusting himself off. "I sometimes HATE my line of work so very...very...much..." He mumbled.

It was then that he noticed something odd. There were small, rectangular lights lining up and down the hallway. He frowned at this. "And this place is supposed to be abandoned. Abandoned my blue furry ASS." He mumbled.

Outside, Tails waited by the wall, calmly tapping his foot and looking up at the moon. He smiled slightly, closing his eyes as he bobbed his head and softly sang in his head. "There's a moon out toniiiight, oh-oh-oh-ooooh...that I've seen before...there's a girl-in-my-siiight, oh-oh-oh-ooooh...that I adooore..."

A form at the top of the wall grinned, its eyes glimmering like bright blue diamonds. If it could have, it would have sneered. Instead, it let out a horrifying set of laughter and jumped down at him as Tails looked up, eyes widening.

"AAAAAHHH-HA-HA-HA-HA-HAAAAA!"

Tails jumped away in time, gasping at the sight of a robot of many shades of orange and tannish/yellow looking at him with brightly lit bright blue eyes. It had orange "brass knuckles" on it's fists, and a strange helm on it's forehead. There was a golden egg-like thing in the center of it and two long and slightly wide prongs rising up, with two "wings" stretching out, making it almost look like some kind of spaceship was in the center of his forehead. He had three bright blue dots in the center of his vhest and...

...the eyes. Those eyes were haunting and mad and filled with a sadistic light. It was like somebody had bottled lightning into this thing, and it was bouncing around inside, desperate to get out. The thing giggled crazily as it looked Tails over. "Welly-welly-weeeeeell! What do we have here? Hee-hee. You sure are quick. This makes it fun."

"Who are you?" Tails asked, eyes widening in horror.

"Well, the name's Gizoid Mark II. Or rather, that's the name I go by when working." Mark II told him, flexing his fingers and smirking. "I'm going to take you apart piece by piece. So just relax...and uh...be sure to scream, won't you?" He asked calmly, his voice sounding much like the squealing of a chipmunk. He would have been humorous...

Then he rushed at Tails, and the fox knew this was no laughing matter.

...

...

...

....it was an grand sort of room, with ironically pure ivory walls. There were dust-covered tapestries hanging down from the walls covered in Angelic script that, if translated, pertained to life magic and it's benefits. But that didn't draw Sonic's attention.

There was a beautiful crystal chandelier above the center of the room, and it twinkled in the light of the torches that were lit up around the area. Each crystal was of a different color, and it looked like a rainbow was suspended in midair. But THAT didn't draw Sonic's attention.

There was a feel around the place. A horrible, cold chill that gripped your very chest and would not let go. The entire place felt like some kind of freezer...and there were the unmistakable blood smears of living beings all over the ground in the center of the room.

...and most horrifyingly of all...there was a moat. A circular moat that had become stained with dry blood. The blood had apparently pooled out into the moat, forming a ring of blood around some poor soul in the middle of the room and-

THAT'S what drew Sonic's attention. "So this is how they made the Chaos Emeralds. Those sick, sick..." Sonic muttered.

"You don't know the half of it." A voice spoke up.

Sonic turned his head to see somebody entering the room. A robotic being of all shades of blue with a white/light tan chest and "mouth" region. He had a trident-shaped light blue helm on his forehead with a tan "egg" in the center, and three golden orbs in the center of his chest, matching the golden hue of his eyes.

"I don't know who you are. But being able to tell all that just by looking at it...not bad." The robot said, nodding his head.

"And you are?" Sonic wanted to know, raising an invisible eyebrow.

"Ah. I'm Gizoid Mark I. I serve as the "Watchdog" of this place. It is my duty to rid it of any intruders. I'm not allowed to let anybody who enters this place live." He held one fist up. "Don't think badly of me."

"I could say the same. Don't think badly of LOSING to a kid." Sonic laughed, clapping his hands together as swirling greenish/white light rushed around him and he hovered in the air, slightly off the ground.

"Well-well! You're a Metallurgist!" Gizoid Mark I commented. "Not bad! So..."

Suddenly he was right in Sonic's face, whispering. "Let us see what you've _got_."

His arm shot forward and Sonic barely ducked in time. Sonic swerved left and right dodging the rapid-fire strikes of Gizoid Mark I as the robot cried out with every punch. "He's fast..." Sonic thought to himself as the Gizoid suddenly leapt up and tried to kick Sonic in the face.

Sonic ducked underneath and slid away, rushing at the wall with the Gizoid Mark I chasing after him. He then leapt through the air, bouncing off the wall and hurtling at the robot, slamming his fist into the thing's cheek.

CRUDDA-CLAAAANG!

The thing let out a gasp of pain and held it's cheek, stumbling back, and Sonic stood there on the floor, holding his fist. He'd felt something...he'd not felt hard metal upon punching him, but...the flesh of a real being. It had only been for a moment, but...

"That feeling...that sixth sense that comes from being a Metallurgist..." Sonic muttered. "...hey. Tell me somethin'. You've got a SOUL in there...don'tcha? You ain't just a robot. I doubt you're a Shanazaran...so what's the deal?"

Gizoid Mark I tilted it's head, golden eyes blinking. "Well, well. I AM impressed." He told Sonic. "So I'm not the only one who had his soul bonded to a "doll"?" He remarked, looking amused.

"I happen to spar with a "doll" a lot like you all the time." Sonic said with a grin.

"Allow me to REINTRODUCE myself." The robot said. "The name "Gizoid, Mark I" is the name of the Shanazaran that died on Death Row some years ago...according to the public. In reality, my...associate and I...put him and his brother to death by using their souls to create a Chaos Emerald. Unfortunately there was a rebound...and since we'd failed to put up a good magical barrier around ourselves..."

"You were new employees, weren't you?" Sonic asked.

"VERY. Both he and I had our souls grafted to the robotic bodies of the very people we'd just sacrificed. My true name is Charybdis." Charybdis said.

"So they DID use this place to turn prisoners into Chaos Emeralds." Sonic muttered, looking disgusted. "You were willing to murder people just to gain power..."

"Well, yes."

"...you sure are being nice all of a sudden, telling me all this."

"I'm the sort of person who likes a bit of tension between fights." Charybdis commented, raising his palms up.

"How considerate. Don't suppose you'd be nice enough to let me go?" Sonic inquired with a grin.

"...do you really think a murderer is going to let his prey escape when he's right in _front_ of him?" Charybdis asked quietly, eyes turned to dark golden slits. He held his fists up. "Ready thyself." He spoke solemnly.

...

...

...

... "Awwww, I'm so excited! Little Venus is gonna be three years old in a few weeks!" Mighty practically yelled into the telephone. "Can't you believe it? Oh, I'm the proudest daddy on the block!" He told Shadow, a giddy expression on his face.

"Ugggggggghhhh." Shadow held the space between his eyes as he sat in his desk, trying to resist the urge to defy reality and send an ember through the other end of the phone. "I'm at WORK right now. Stop calling me to brag about your daughter! AND you're bragging on a military line!"

"I'm not just calling about my daughter." Mighty told Shadow.

"PHEW."

"Willie Mae and I are celebrating our anniversary this week! I'm getting it **night, tightly, and ever-so-RIGHTLY!**" Mighty proclaimed. "HOO-YEAH!"

"...actually, I have to respect that." Shadow admitted.

"Ah, but there's something else I need to talk about. Omega."

"...we haven't found him yet. His body's yet to turn up. And what bodies we HAVE found are so badly decomposed that..." Shadow frowned deeply, speaking quietly.

"I see."

"But, eventually, I should be able to lift that escort from the **Metal Brotherhood**."

"That's right. Knuckles is looking after them right?"

"Well, not just them. It's also-"

"THOSE LITTLE PRIIIIIIICKS!" Wave roared out, shaking her fist in the air as she held a bedsheet rope in her gloved hand, gripping it so tightly she almost tore them in two. "I THOUGHT it was too quiet in their room." She muttered balefully.

"Oh no." Jet moaned, holding his head and shaking it. "Knuckles is gonna tan our HIDE for this. **He'll serve us up all crispy fried with mashed potatoes on the side!**"

"Those little punks! Why can't they understand things from OUR point of view?!" Wave snarled. "Come on, let's get going!"

"Going where?" Jet wanted to know.

"Isn't it obvious where they went?" Wave told him as she put her goggles on, heading for the door. "They ran off to the Research Institute...the Fifth Laboratory!"

...

...

...

...meanwhile, at the Fifth Laboratory, Sonic was fighting for his life against Charybdis, ducking and diving to avoid the "possessed" robot's strikes. He kept on ducking and swerving to avoid the attacks from the robot, who seemed unnaturally strong. Sonic managed to sweep his leg, knocking Charybdis through the air, then leaping up and slamming his fist into the robot.

Charybdis hit the ground, grunting as Sonic leapt away, fists seemingly on fire.

"Darn it..." Sonic thought to himself as he held his fists up, panting heavily. "My strikes aren't blasting him in half like they should be." He muttered. "Why-"

_"Now listen, I did all the steps correctly, but Chaos appeared to me last night and said he wanted to test you. There's gonna be something of a handicap to your abilities." She informed Sonic as Tails, who had returned back to his normal appearance, looked himself over in the mirror, as Knuckles held a thumbs up in approval._

_"Feels good...what's this "handicap"?" Sonic wanted to know as he did a few hand-stands in front of them all._

_Amy brushed some of her hair out of her eyes. "You'll be able to heal faster from your wounds, but __unfortunately __some of your power had to be sacrificed." She informed him sagely, waving a finger in the air. "So BE-CAREFUL-OUT-THERE." She insisted._

"Darn it. I almost forgot about that." Sonic mumbled. "I have to finish this quickly or I'm through!"

Sonic clenched his fist, the rings upon his wrists glowing brightly. With a loud roar, he rushed forward, slicing at Charybdis's cheek, but missing. The robot thrust his fist forward, but Sonic held his arm up to block.

However, this led to the robot kicking him in the stomach. Sonic went flying back, gasping as the robot charged at him, fist held high. Sonic managed to jump away in time to avoid a serious blow, but he felt blood surge down the side of his head, and felt a clear injury near his temple.

"You sure are nimble for such a fat lil' hog." The robot commented. "

"DID YOU CALL ME FAT?!?" Sonic roared, shaking his fist in the air, ignoring the drip-drip-drip sound of his lifeblood splattering on the floor.

"Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!" Charybdis held his sides, laughing broadly. "You really have been making this enjoyable! I'm grateful to be able to fight somebody skilled as you. I do appreciate it." He told Sonic in a good-natured tone. "But unfortunately, you're in a lot of trouble. And if you were planning on having some outside help come in to aid you...well, my partner will keep anybody from coming to help you."

"Yeah, I guess my partner outside has his hands full. Tell me something. Your buddy...the one who got their soul shot into a robot like you...are they strong?" Sonic wanted to know, panting heavily, wiping some blood off his head.

"My beloved partner is strong. Though not as strong as I." Charybdis said calmly.

Sonic grinned, and then began to laugh, holding one gloved hand over his face.

"Oh? What's so amusing?"

"In all my years of fighting him...he's always managed to find some way to beat me!" Sonic laughed.

BA-THWOOOOMBA!

Gizoid Mark II was knocked through the air as Tails lowered his glowing hand, frowning.

"You little PEST!" Gizoid Mark II snarled. "Why won't you stay still and let me beat you into a pulp?!" He demanded to know, rushing forward and aiming a fist for Tails's head. Tails ducked and then kicked upward, knocking the Gizoid Mark II backwards through the air.

And as he hit the ground, he growled in pain. "GAAAAAH! Dang it! If I had my normal body back, I could at LEAST use my Metallurgy!"

"...normal...body?" Tails's eyes widened. "...you're...you're a "doll"?" He asked.

Gizoid Mark II stood up, dusting himself up. He gave Tails a look that was seemed to be a mad grin, his eyes alit like blue flame. "Allow me to fully reintroduce myself. Once upon a time..." The robot put a hand on his chest. "A young scientist and his lab partner decided to get involved in the government. They wanted to test new boundaries of science. And so they were given permission to create what had previously been only RUMORED of...the Chaos Emeralds!"

Tails frowned darkly. Oh REALLY?

"They were given subjects...the scum of the Earth...and that young scientist, named Scylla, was VERRRRY happy. Tomorrow, he thought to himself, they would finally be able to create a Chaos Emerald. But a TERRIBLE accident occurred. And he and his partner found themselves trapped in the REPULSIVE bodies of the prisoners whose souls had just become a Chaos Emerald! Trapped in a body of steel instead of flesh...unable to feel...to breathe..." He placed a hand upon his chest.

"To love..."

And suddenly a horrifying realization came to Tails. "You're not a GUY." He realized.

"No. I'm NOT." Scylla said. "I was a GIRL. And Charybdis...was more than my lab partner." He commented. "She was my partner for LIFE."

"So I'm not alone, then." Tails commented.

"Alone?" Scylla commented.

Tails took off his wrist rings, and Scylla was suddenly made very clearly aware that she was looking down a doll. "What the?! What the hell are you?!" She asked.

"I'm a "doll" like you and your partner. My brother got my soul bonded to this doll to save me from oblivion."

Scylla began to giggle insanely. "Ohhhhh how SWEEEEET." She crooned. "Brotherly love really is such a beautiful thing..."

Her eyes glinted. "Even if it's all BULLSHIT." She laughed.

"Wh-what are you talking about?" Tails wanted to know.

"My dear boy, how do you "know" you were a real person at all? Could one not create memories...and put them in a doll? Magic can do so many things." She told Tails. "How do you know that you're not just a doll...but a PUPPET?"

"That's not true!" Tails insisted, clenching his fists. "I KNOW I was Miles Prower!"

"You were never alive to begin with!"

"Oh yeah?! How do YOU know you were a real person yourself, you big-"

"HEY!" The guard from the front gate had heard the fight and was now behind Scylla, holding a gun up. "Both of you, free-"

Scylla twirled around, leg held up. A single kick knocked his head clear off, and blood splurted out of the neck stump. The body swayed slightly, then fell to the ground as Scylla calmly turned arund, blood splattered over her face, looking unmistakably amused.

"Simple, sweetie-pie. Feeling this ghost of the sensation of blood splatter on me...the cries and howls of the dying...that alone gives me belief that I was a person before I was THIS." She said, pointing at herself. "I kill...therefore...I AM!" She told him, howling with laughter. "That alone is proof enough for me!"

...

...

...

... "Ahhhh. A BROTHER, eh? Bringing your baby brother with you out on an "extra special field trip"?" Charybdis remarked. "Hmm. Well, I suppose I'll have to finish you quickly."

Sonic panted a few times as he turned his head to look to the right, then grinned. "Tails, NOW!"

Charybdis turned his head to the side. "What the?!"

Nobody was there.

BANG!

A good kick knocked his head clean off and Sonic grinned, lowering his fist and calmly walking over to Charybdis's head, picking it up.

"Cheap shot." The robot snapped.

"There's no such thing as "off limits" in a fight to the death." Sonic commented. "Now then...how about you start talking about who was behind all of this?"

"I can't do that."

"Oya-oya!" Sonic warned him, giving him an evil grin. "The beaten dog doesn't get to growl back."

"This "beaten dog" has some teeth left in his bite." Charybdis told him coldly.

SCHA-BAAAAAM! A fist knocked Sonic backwards through the air and he fell to the ground, heaving and coughing as some blood poured down the back of his back. "What...the?!" He gasped, turning around to see the body of Charybdis standing by the head, hands held on hips.

"Let me introduce myself anew. I was once a brilliant female scientist and me and my life partner DID attempt to create a chaos emerald using two Shanazarans. Truth is, due to the rebound, there were some...side...effects. For my partner...she went batshit insane. For me...the soul that should have been combined with the other to make a chaos emerald...remained within the body...and I was trapped inside with it. We could do nothing...until, at long last, we managed to make peace with each other." Charybdis explained.

"If only to keep ourselves from being turned to scrap." Gizoid Mark II told Sonic.

"That was a dirty thing to keep from me!" Sonic snapped.

"What happened to "there's no such thing as fighting dirty", oh "Hog of the Military"?" Gizoid Mark II sniggered, the headless body holding its fists back up. It then rushed forward, throwing rapid-fire kicks at Sonic, forcing the blue-furred hedgehog back further and further. "I'm-not-going-to-give-you-time-for-a-healing-spell!" Gizoid Mark II informed the hedgehog eagerly.

The kicks felt like somebody was hitting him over and over with a steel rod. He gasped in pain as he was constantly assaulted, forced further away from the center of the room before Gizoid Mark II finally spun around and with a harsh SCHUDDA-THWAM knocked Sonic into the wall. The hedgehog slid down it, blood dripping down from the top of his head, his shoulder and across his chest.

"This...this ain't good...I'm gonna die...I'm gonna die..." Sonic thought to himself.

Die...DIE...

"_Are you going to kill him too?"_

An idea hit him. Sonic's fist clenched tightly as Gizoid Mark II aimed a punch at his head. "Now I END this!"

Sonic caught the fist. His arm buckled...but then he grinned.

With that a blast of greenish energy surged from Sonic's hand and through the robot, and it was blasted into two pieces, the top half sent flying through the air to land some distance to the right of Sonic. The other half dropped to the ground as Sonic lowered his hand, heavily panting, some bloody spit dribbling out of his mouth.

"Almost forgot." He commented. "Wind magic involves air pressure. I increased it inside of your body when my fist came into contact with you. Blasted you apart the same way dark energy swells can blast the body apart just as easily."

"Guuuuuhhhh..." The Gizoid Mark II moaned as Sonic gasped. The thing was still alive?!

"AAA! There's not THREE souls bonded to you, is there? Am I gonna get attacked by your feet?" Sonic yelled, his body resting against the wall.

"Ahhh, no." Charybdis said firmly. "You've won fair and square. I can barely believe it."

"YOU can barely believe it?!" The Gizoid muttered. "We never had a problem with intruders before! GOD I hate your attitude sometimes!"

"Do I talk about how you like to fantasize about **cars**? DO I? No. No, I do NOT." Charybdis snapped back. "Go ahead. Finish us off, kid. Vaporize our bodies."

"I don't DO murder." Sonic said firmly. "Not even to scum."

"...murder?" Charybdis commented. "You consider us to actually have value to our lives? With bodies like **these**?"

"If I didn't consider you to be a person, then that means I wouldn't consider my BROTHER to be a person." Sonic told him firmly.

"C'mon little "boy"!" Scylla laughed as she tried to force Tails to his knees. "Don't resist! It won't hurt!...MUCH."

"I am not a PUPPET!"

"SURE you aren't!" Scylla sneered. "Of course, there's an easy enough way to prove it. Let me rip your body to chunks! If you die, then you were real! I'll be MORE than happy to do it FOR you!"

"You're MAD!" Tails screamed back.

"I'm not mad, silly! I'm out of my fucking MIND! AND IIIII **LIKE** IT!" Scylla howled.

It was then that two things soared through the air. ARROWS.

SCHUPPA-SCHUP!

Scylla reeled away, two arrows of burning plasma stuck in her side as Tails turned his head to see Jet and Wave lowering two silver-plated crossbows, another plasma arrow loaded into the bowstring. "Back off, you creepy thing!"

"You mean ME?" Tails asked.

"You're not creepy to US, fox boy." Wave laughed.

"We mean the ORANGE creepy thing!" Jet told him.

"Oh great. More company. This is _annoying_." Scylla muttered.

"My brother's a real person. And so are you in my eyes." Sonic insisted, taking deep breaths.

"...heh...heh-heh-heh." Charybdis chuckled.

"What is it?" Gizoid Mark II asked.

"It's just...you...showing compassion to us...there's no logic to it...I just...heh." Charybdis finally sighed. "Tell you what. You've earned it. I'll tell you everything I know about this place. About the one who sought to become a God of Science..."

And then Charybdis's head was impaled by thick, eggplant-colored strands of hair, lifted into the air. She gasped in horror as her impaled head was brought to the enormously bushy/thick locks above a female hedgehog's head. Sonic watched in horror as the skull vanished into the hair, and MUNCHING sounds were head as the female hedgehog covered her mouth, then let out a small burp, the egg-shaped thing from Charybdis's helm flying out of her maw. "Oops. 'Scuse me." She said.

"YOU SICK LITTLE!!!" Gizoid Mark II screamed, trying to crawl towards her in a blaze of fury. "I'll-I'll turn you...I'm gonna turn you inside-"

There was a loud, high-pitched whine and Sonic looked up to see a form hovering in the air, aiming a glowing, metal-clawed hand down. He gasped as the poor robot was oblitered on the spot...only a dusty imprint left behind to indicate he'd ever been there. The robotic form that had destroyed him touched down onto the ground, his red jetpack retreating into his back as he looked at Sonic...

Looked at Sonic with a form too eerily familiar to his own...

"Well THAT was close. Disgusting little things. Almost killed off our important sacrifice!" The being said.

"ALMOST being the key word, Metal." The female hedgehog told him.

"Don't bug me, Sonia." Metal waved a hand in the air. "...well, well." He looked over at Sonic. "Looks like the Blue Bubblebutt is here as well." He commented with a nasty, gleeful tone. "What's with that look? You don't LIKE how we do business?"

"Who the hell are you people?!" Sonic snarled. "What do you mean by "sacrifice"?"

"Well, well..." Metal said, leaning in close to the heaving, panting Sonic. "Bubblebutt's getting MAD."

"Shut...up...you metal FAKER..." Sonic snarled.

"Make me, bubblebutt."

"I WILL you stinkin'..." Sonic aimed a punch at Metal...and it just went "PLOMP" against his chest. He blinked and tried to throw another punch. PLOMP. His arms had no strength in them. He groaned as his arms swung back and forth, out of "juice".

"SOMEBODY'S having "technical difficulties"." Sonia remarked.

"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH!!!" Sonic groaned, waving his arms in the air, whacking the useless limbs against Metal's chest.

"Say goodnight, floppy." Metal commented snidely.

THWONKA! Sonic was kneed in the gut and hit the ground as Metal stood over him, and if he could have, the robot would have sneered. "You're getting off lucky, bubblebutt.

"You remember, we LET you live." Sonia commented coldly. "...hmm. We can't have this guy visiting this place again." She remarked, rubbing her chin.

"**Let's burn it down. Burn it to the GROUND." **


	9. Don't Lie To Me

_The Chaos Emeralds. _

_It is a thing of immeasurable power. It grants joy to the suffering, victory to those on the verge of defeat, life to the dead...shining like a star in the hands of it's wielder, it possesses the power to turn one's thoughts into reality. It makes the impossible possible. Men honor it and worship what it can do. People believe it to be a gift from God._

_Yet what is required to make it..._

_Is the work of the Devil._

**Episode Eight: **

**Don't lie to me!**

**私にうそをつくてはいけない！**

**

* * *

**

The entire fifth laboratory was exploding from within. Chunks of roof and wall were flying everywhere as flames rose higher and higher into the air. Scylla had run for it, giggling all the while as Tails stood by Wave and Jet, eyes wide in horror.

"My brother's still inside!" He told them, gulping in fear.

"Oh CRAP!" Jet yelled, looking from Tails to the burning, flaming hulk that was the laboratory. "We've gotta get in there, then!"

"Ah, no need." A faintly metallic voice called out.

They looked to the far right, and saw somebody emerging from an enormous cloud of dust. Carrying the unconscious **Blue Blur** on his shoulder, a red-eyed, blue-painted robot hedgehog that looked vaguely like Sonic deposited the real deal on the ground with an air of slight contempt, shrugging. "You really should look after your brother better." He told Tails, hands on his hips. "I mean, I won't always be around to assist you."

"Uh...thank you, whoever you are." Wave commented, blinking a few times as she helped Sonic up onto Jet's shoulder and the robotic hedgehog shrugged.

"And now I take my leave." He said, stepping back into the cloud of dust, his red eyes seeming to linger on them even through the dark haze. Finally they snapped out of the vaguely hypnotic trance and ran for it as the last of the laboratory finally hit the ground with a THULH-CHOOOOOM sound.

...

...

...

...when Sonic woke up, he was annoyed, bandages wrapped around his head and arms. He muttered in a contemptuous fashion as Wave stood cheerily by with Jet, looking very, very pleased that he was...y'know...**confined to one room**. ^_^

"So how's the Fifth Laboratory?" Sonic muttered, looking to the side slightly as Jet nervously rubbed the back of his neck.

"Which half?" Jet asked him.

"Huh?"

"Well, somebody KINDA blew it up and it's in pieces."

"...Everything's been wiped out?"

"Yep."

"...not even a single room's fully intact?"

"Nope."

"GAAAAAAAH!" Sonic screamed and flailed his arms in the air. "We travel all this way and finally get a lead and just when it looks like-" Then an enormous, searing-hot pain like somebody was shoving a red-hot poker into both arms shot up in his body, and he howled. "OOUUUUHHHH...owwwww...OWWWW." He moaned. "My freakin' aaaaarms!"

"Don't tell me you're thinking of going BACK?" Jet asked.

"This is no time for me to be in this freakin' bed!" Sonic told him. "Way past time for lounging around!"

"...Wave?" Jet asked.

"I feel the same way you do." She remarked.

"We want to apologize in advance." Jet told Sonic as the two birds looked squarely at Sonic.

"For what?"

THA-THWACK!

Sonic's cheek stung as Wave's hand waved in the air, a tic mark appearing on her forehead. "You big, blue IDIOT!" She told him. "You could have been KILLED! Don't try to do everything by yourself! What do you think we're here for? To make you martinis?"

She then sighed and folded her arms. "You have to put more trust in us adults. We DO know what we're doing, for the most part. We just want to keep you safe because we care about you."

"You're not THAT much older than me!" Sonic wanted to say, but she had a point. He nervously looked away, biting his lip. "..."

"Well, anyhow, excuse us for being so frank...uh...sir." Jet finished for Wave, saluting Sonic.

"...nah. It's cool. I'm sorry. I deserved that bitch-slap."

"Oh, so you won't be writing us up?" Wave asked.

"No. I hate paperwork." Sonic told her, sighing wistfully. "Oh, wouldn't it be lovely if it all just...BLEW AWAY..."

"PHEW." Wave and Jet simultaneously collapsed on the ground, breathing a deep sigh of relief.

"Why are you guys so worried?" Sonic asked, blinking stupidly.

"If you READ your paperwork, you'd know that being a State Metallurgist comes with a rank equal to "Major". Technically, you're our boss!"

"Well...in that case..." Sonic grinned. "Make me a martini."

"WHAAA-"

"_Kidding_!" Sonic laughed. "Hey wait. Where's my little bro?"

"I already had a talk with him. Unfortunately when I tried to get all tough like Jet, it didn't...wasn't really..." Jet nervously looked to the side.

"Couldn't beat up a doll, huh? He gave you "The Face", right?" Sonic asked.

"He did indeed." Jet sighed sadly, shaking his head.

"Don't feel bad. Nobody can resist the face."

Fun fact! The tears of "The Face" can cure cancer. Sadly, Tails is unable to cry.

"...I just realized something." Sonic gulped, his face turning pale. "...I need to call...Amy...and..._ohhhhh craaaaaap._" He moaned, hanging his head.

...

...

...

...BRIIIIING! BRIIIING!

"Hellooooo! Amy Rose speaking! Have a smiley day!...Sonic? Oh, hi! It's so good to hear from.........what...did...you...say?"

"Uh...see...my arms..."

"YOU STUPID, IDIOTIC!"

"You girlfriend sure is a hard-ass, huh?" Jet asked Sonic as Sonic held the phone away from his ears. Upon hearing the "g word", he immediately whipped his head in the hawk's direction.

"**She's not my girlfriend!**" He bellowed out.

"WHAT WAS THAT?" Amy screamed over the phone.

Meanwhile, Tails was sitting alone in a darkened corner of the hospital. He leaned against the bench he was in, staring up at the ceiling, unblinking, simply musing over what Scylla had said. He tried to get the thought out of his head, but he just couldn't.

"I need to focus on something else, dang it. This isn't healthy." Tails mumbled as he looked down from the ceiling, noticing a young girl walking by with her mother, holding onto...a big...fluffy...fox doll.

"...why am I even entertaining this? That woman was out of her freakin' GOURD..." Tails muttered.

"_My dear boy, how do you "know" you were a real person at all? Could one not create memories...and put them in a doll? Magic can do so many things." She told Tails. "How do you know that you're not just a doll...but a PUPPET?"_

_"That's not true!" Tails insisted, clenching his fists. "I KNOW I was Miles Prower!"_

_"You were never alive to begin with!"  
_

...

...

...

... "Oh...my...GOD. My poor BUTT. It is so SORE." Amy moaned as she rubbed her butt, getting off the train, making several nearby perverts lick their lips and grin stupidly. "How do those boys ride those things? They're so hard!"

"I have a REAAAAALLY good joke for that. Too bad this fanfic's supposed to not go above the "PG-13" rating." A nearby disguised musician remarked as he walked by her, making Amy give him a look.

It was then that she noticed the familiar figure of one Knuckles the Echidna looking at her, and she ran over to him with her stuff. "Knuckles, where are those two? They didn't come with you?"

"Well...actually..." Knuckles nervously sighed.

SOON...

"Oh no." Amy moaned as she looked Sonic over as he sat on his bed. "Look at how beat-up you are..." She sighed. "I must have messed up somehow...maybe I should have flagellated myself after all..."

"WHAT?" Sonic yelled, eyes widening. "No-no-no-no! Nothing like that! Whipping is bad! Very bad! My fault! This?" he gestured at himself with his weak arms as best he could. "TOTALLY my fault!"

Amy put her hands on her hips and smiled in a good-natured way. "Okay, fine! Well, let's get to work. Naturally, I'll be charging you a rush order for..." She trailed off, noticing Sonic's lunch plate. "...you didn't eat your vegetables."

"I HATE veggies." Sonic muttered, looking to the side.

**PIKO-POWER!  
**

Sonic moaned as Amy lowered the hammer back down to the ground, frowning darkly. "If you don't eat your vegetables, you'll NEVER lose weight!"

"You're...being...INCONSIDERAAAAATE!" Knuckles suddenly roared, flexing his muscles as "The Pink" surrounded him, making Sonic squirm in nervousness.

"Yes, people should eat three to five servings of vegetables a day, brother." Tails said, sticking his head into the room before ducked right back out.

"If you don't eat your veggies, you'll miss out on good sources of Vitamin A." Jet added.

"What is this, a Public Service Announcement?" Sonic snapped.

"Oh no! I hit a homeless person because I was drinking and driving! "**The More You Knoooow**"!" A man outside the hospital exclaimed, standing by his car as a drunk laying at his feet moaned in pain.

...

...

...

...Amy immediately went to work on fixing the rings around Sonic's arm, meditating as she held onto the rings, Sonic sitting in a nearby chair in the room, looking worried. "Tails has been acting weird lately. He hasn't really been...**talking** to me." He told Amy, sighing sadly. "It's like something is bothering him..."

Meanwhile, Tails looked himself over in a mirror, placing one furry paw upon it, blinking slowly, wishing his eyes could cry. He could not get those words out of his head.

"_C'mon little "boy"!" Scylla laughed as she tried to force Tails to his knees. "Don't resist! It won't hurt!...MUCH."_

_"I am not a PUPPET!"_

_"SURE you aren't!" Scylla sneered. "Of course, there's an easy enough way to prove it. Let me rip your body to chunks! If you die, then you were real! I'll be MORE than happy to do it FOR you!"_

"...I can't deal with not knowing...I need the truth. I HAVE to have it." He muttered, turning away from the mirror and heading back towards his brother's room.

"Ahhh! All fixed!" Sonic remarked, doing some punches in the air. "I feel good! Reaaaal good."

"Yeah, luckily your arms only FELT totally busted. The rings weren't so badly damaged." Amy said, hovering back down from off the floor as Jet and Wave gave themselves weirded-out looks over the process that had gone into fixing Sonic up.

"Hey there, Sonic!" Mighty laughed, stepping into the room, a big, toothy grin on his face. "I heard you invited a GIRL into your hospital room, and you were being very "intimate" with her?" He commented, walking over to Sonic and elbowing him in the side. "My maaaaan! Who's the pink cutie?" He asked, winking at Sonic.

"...she's...JUST...my ring repairwoman!"

"You've seduced a working girl, huh?"

"GAAAAH!" Sonic moaned and hit the ground again as Mighty heartily shook Amy's hand, beaming at her.

"Pleasure to meetcha. Mighty the Armadillo at your service!"

"I'm Amy. Amy Rose."

"How come you're not at work?" Sonic wanted to know.

"I gave Wax some overtime." Mighty explained. "He's completing some important projects for me."

"THIS IS SO FRICKIN' HAAAARD!" Wax screamed from down the street, trying to enter Wily's Fortress in Mega Man 9.

"By the way, I heard you won't be needing guards for much longer." Mighty added.

"Guards? You have GUARDS looking after you? Okay, what hot water did you land into?" Amy demanded to know.

Sonic looked away, arms folded. "It's nothing!"

She glared intently at him.

"It's NOTHING."

Creepy Latin chanting began to fill the air.

_**Koyanisquanti...**_

_**Koyanisquanti...**_

"Oh, I'm sorry, your wing is down THIS way." A nurse urged a few babbling monks in long, hooded brown robes. "C'mon, keep moving. We'll get you your pills..."

"See, this is what happens when you don't let them have wives." A male nurse told the other nurse. "Go crazy or start humping little-"

"Well, I might as well get going. I need to find a hotel to stay in." Amy said firmly, folding her arms.

"Hotel schmotel! Stay with me and my family. We'll take good care of you!" Mighty insisted. "My wife and daughter will be delighted!"

Before Amy knew what was happening, she was practically hauled out of the room by Mighty as he laughed heartily. The others all stood around, blinking in confusion.

"...what just happened?" Sonic asked.

...

...

...

...POOF-POOF!

"Happy Birthday to yoooou! Happy Birthday to yooooou! Happy Birthday dear Venus Dee Miloooo...Happy Birthday to yooooou!"

Several dozen people all cheered, throwing streamers and blowing horns as the little armadillo blew out the candles on her chocolate-frosted vanilla cake, which had her name written in pink frosting on the top. Amy, who was just taking all of this in, noticed Willie Mae was holding a plate up to her.

"Cake?" Willie Mae Milo asked.

"I take it...this is your daughter's birthday?" Amy asked nervously as Mighty walked over to Amy, his daughter by his side, the remnants of cake frosting on her lips, having wolfed down her piece.

"Yep! Tell her how old you are, honey pie!" Mighty commented happily.

"THIS much!" Venus Dee Milo said, holding up three fingers, beaming happily.

"That's...so...CUUUUUUTE!" Amy said, sparkles appearing in her eyes as she pinched Venus's little cheeks. "Ohhhh, you're just the cutest little thing!"

"I sense...a _disturbance_." Sonic thought to himself, sitting up in his hospital bed. "...yep. She did the sparkle thing." He sighed and leaned back in his bed. "Is there NOBODY capable of resisting that babe's charms?"

"...can I talk to you? Privately?" Mighty The Armadillo, aka Mighty Milo, inquired. Amy blinked a few times as he led her into the kitchen. "I can tell something's bothering you. You had that preoccupied look on your face all the way over here."

"...Sonic and Tails don't call often. Usually just when they need help...and now here I am, and Sonic was really hurt, and Tails is being bothered by something...and..." Amy leaned against a kitchen counter, folding her arms and looking up at the ceiling above as Mighty sipped a glass of lemonade. "They won't talk to me."

"...I think I can guess why." Mighty told her gently. "They trust you. They know you'll understand. No words gotta be said, girl." He insisted, nodding his head.

"...don't lie to me." Amy remarked, rolling her eyes.

"I'm serious. Guys...we don't talk. Like...almost ever. We DO. We let our actions speak for us instead." Mighty went on, sighing slightly. "And Sonic...he ain't the kind of person who wants other people to worry about him. But if he ever DOES want your help...you're gonna definitely be the first person he'll run to. Is that enough?"

"...you know...I think it is." Amy admitted. "You're a nice guy." She told him. "And I can tell you're a good father."

"Hey, I wanna play with her!" A voice called out. Mighty peeked his head around the kitchen doorframe to see three boys were fighting over who was going to play "Pin the tail on the donkey" with his daughter.

"You already got a turn! **I** wanna play with Venus!"

"...hold on a second." Mighty said, reaching into the kitchen drawer nearest him.

"**I** wanna play-"

Mighty stepped in front of the boys, holding a 42 millimeter pistol in the air. "You boys try anythin' funny...POW."

"Uhhhhh..."

"Don'tcha give me no sass, I'll bust a cap in yo ass!" Mighty warned them.

The boys immediately cried, and wet themselves in pants-pissing fear. Venus laughed. "My dad's so funny." She told Amy, who gulped.

"_Maybe you're TOO good a father." Amy _thought to herself.

...

...

...

... "So...my hated nemesis returns. We meet again, broccoli." Sonic muttered, looking down at his lunch, frowning. He was eating lunch at the hospital cafeteria today...they'd wanted to keep him one more night for "observation".

"Brother, you have a living body, so you should eat your veggies." Tails said, standing nearby as Mighty and Amy shared stories at a nearby table about the birthday party they'd been at last night to Jet and Wave.

"You know, I HAVE been losing weight! I mean, most of it's water weight, but still, I'm not nearly that tubby! I wish I had a body like yours, bro." He remarked. "Your body can never get tubby and-"

"I DIDN'T ASK TO HAVE THIS BODY!" Tails roared furiously, standing up suddenly.

"...you-you're right, I..." Sonic nervously muttered and looked away. "I'm sorry." He murmured as Amy looked on in horror. Other people in the cafeteria, wisely sensing a big meltdown, quickly looked at each other and moved their tables faaaar away.

"It's my fault you got turned into that anyhow...that's why I want you to get changed back to normal." Sonic went on, rubbing the back of his neck.

"How do you know that's even POSSIBLE?" Tails wanted to know, angrily growling.

"I'll do it! I always find a way." Sonic insisted proudly, jabbing a thumb at his chest. "Believe you me, I won't give up."

_"...Miles...look...there's somethin' I always wanted to talk to you about, but...I ain't never mentioned it before cuz I was scared..."_

"BELIEVE you? How am I supposed to believe you with this body that cannot feel?" Tails yelled furiously, pointing at himself.

"Miles, bro, what's all this-" Sonic began.

"When you get right down to it, memories are just a bunch of information! It would be easy to make them up! I mean, BUFFY did it!" Tails snapped.

"That damn show does everything." Amy admitted, sighing.

"...Miles..." Sonic whispered.

"You told me before there was something you wanted to talk to me about...something that had been bothering you...what was it? That maybe I never was your brother? That maybe everything about me is just FAKE?"

Sonic's hands clenched into fists.

"Don't lie to me! Tell me the TRUTH!" Tails screamed.

**SCHA-SLAM!**

Sonic's fists struck the table so hard that the food went flying off. Tails's rant was stopped as he saw Sonic's fists shaking, his body quivering with barely-suppressed emotion.

"...is that...all you wanted...to say?" He mumbled darkly. "Is THAT what's been bothering you all this time?"

Tails said nothing. He felt a little bit ashamed for that outburst, and looked to the side in nervousness.

"...okay...okay." Sonic sighed, looking somewhat..._relieved_?

Much to Tails's surprise, he stood up and left the room, heading past Amy and out into the hallway. Tails blinked as Amy clenched her fists, shaking in fury.

"Miles Prower...you...BIG...IDIOOOOOOT!" She roared furiously.

A flash of red and yellow.

**PIKO-POWER!**

"Where do you even KEEP that thing?" Tails moaned. "And how is it that it can HURT me?" He wondered.

"Do...you...have...any...idea...how...Sonic...FEELS?" Amy screamed furiously at Tails, holding the hammer up, tears trickling down her cheeks. "Do you have any idea what he really wanting to talk to you about? For years he's been wondering if you blamed him for what happened! If you hated him for screwing up!"

NOT SO VERY LONG AGO...

Amy immediately went to work on fixing the rings around Sonic's arm, meditating as she held onto the rings, Sonic sitting in a nearby chair in the room, looking worried. "Tails has been acting weird lately. He hasn't really been...**talking** to me." He told Amy, sighing sadly. "It's like something is bothering him..."

Sonic sighed sadly. "His body doesn't need to eat or sleep. It doesn't feel pain. And...and he must hate me for it." Sonic murmured nervously. "...how...how am I going to ask him that?" He whispered tearfully, covering his face. "I might as well have KILLED him...he must hate me sometimes..."

PRESENT...

"How could you even THINK something like that!" Amy yelled in Tails's face, whacking him on the chest over and over with her fists, crying all the while as Mighty gave them a sympathetic look as Jet and Wave stared at each other. "You have no idea how much he loves you! You two only have each other...how could you say something..."

She finally stepped back and pointed out the door, a furious look on her face. "Apology! **NOW**!"

"Okay, okay!"

"And don't just beat each other up, either!"

...

...

...

...Sonic was sitting on a bench outside the hospital, hands in his lap. Tails nervously sat down near him and looked to the side slightly.

At first, they didn't speak. There was only the chirping of birds in the trees as sunshine bathed down upon them.

"...brother..."

"We've fought over some really stupid things, haven't we?" Sonic spoke up.

"...yeah." Tails admitted.

"We've fought over who got the top bunk."

"..."

"And who would get the last slice of cake."

"...and who would get the Halloween candy that was shaped like a star."

"And that toy. The squeaky one."

"I won that one." Tails remarked with a hint of pride.

"Yeah, but I'M the one who won the fight over where we'd go for a picnic, remember?" Sonic told him with a grin.

"The ants ate half our sandwiches."

"A win's a win." Sonic muttered as Tails sniggered.

"We even fought over who would marry Amy one day." Tails said with a sigh.

"Which I won..." Sonic commented with a cheery smile that quickly faded. "Then she shot me down."

"...yeah. Preeeeeetty hard." Tails added.

They were silent for a few moments, not speaking. Then Sonic finally sighed a little.

"So you're gonna tell me that all those memories...your desire to get back in your original body...it's fake? All of those were lies?"

"I'm sorry." Tails admitted sadly.

"We a promise TOGETHER, remember? To get our original forms back. To fix ourselves. To get stronger!" Sonic said, pointing up into the sky. "Aim for the sun!"

"Yeah...to get stronger!"

"We WILL get our bodies back! We WILL right what we made wrong!"

"You WILL start eating your veggies?" Tails asked with a bit of a grin.

"...okaaaaaay..." Sonic moaned, hanging his head.

...

...

...

...meanwhile, Mighty was thinking back to the old days of the Shanazaran Campaign. Back to that fateful day when he and Shadow had made their decision...

_They stood together among the state metallurgists, distinguishable by the stylish black of their long, caped jackets. Their faces, once filled with innocence and hope, now had the permanent stain of adulthood thrust onto them._

_"Those below me protect those below them. We're only average people. We should be able to do at least THAT." The black-furred hedgehog said, folding his arms, a deep, sorrowful expression on his features as Mighty twirled one of his knives before sheathing it back in place._

"_Good goals, my friend." Mighty told him, placing his sunglasses back on, making the light reflect off in an eerie manner. "Of course, if ya wanna go about protectin' everyone in this country, you're gonna need to be at the one the buck stops at. YOU'RE gonna have to be the head honcho." _

"_Yeah, that's how geometric progression works." Shadow said. "...you know..." He turned to look to the far right, seeing Dr. Eggman, Autocrat of the Eggman Empire standing there with his top brass, overlooking the assembled troops, a banner displayed beneath the ledge he was on. "It must feel awfully good being in that seat. But I can't climb up to there on my own, I think."_

_He turned to smirk a little at Mighty. "Would you mind getting your hands dirty?"_

_"Ain't no thang but a chicken wang." Mighty laughed, taking off his sunglasses and dusting them off. "I'll help you go the distance, a'ight? Let's see your idealism change this country."_

_It was then that Dr. Eggman turned to look at him, frowning slightly. Shadow just glared right back at him. _

"_He's not looking AT me..." Dr. Eggman thought to himself. "...but THROUGH me...the __**Burning Alchemist**__..."_

"Mighty?"

Mighty shot up in his seat as Knuckles looked down at him. The armadillo had fallen asleep by the water cooler. "Are you feeling alright? It's not like you to suddenly doze off in the middle of the day."

"...just old memories floating back up, like bubbles in a water cooler." Mighty thought out loud.

"Deep."

"Really?"

"Not really."

"Well, I had half a pack of hard lemonade last night, so that might be keeping me from enlightened thoughts." Mighty commented as he stood up.

"Well I've got something that might get you focused..." Knuckles said, holding up a drawing pad that showed off a robotic hedgehog.


	10. Truth Comes With A Price

_The Chaos Emeralds. _

_It is a thing of immeasurable power. It grants joy to the suffering, victory to those on the verge of defeat, life to the dead...shining like a star in the hands of it's wielder, it possesses the power to turn one's thoughts into reality. It makes the impossible possible. Men honor it and worship what it can do. People believe it to be a gift from God._

_Yet what is required to make it..._

_Is the work of the Devil._

**Episode Nine: **

**Truth Comes With A Price!**

**真実は代償が伴う****!**

"I hate paperwork." Shadow muttered as he looked down at his desk, frowning as he folded his hands in his lap. "Wouldn't it be such a wonderful thing if it all just...blew away?" He asked Rouge as she stood nearby, hands on her considerably sensual-looking hips.

"Yes, do us all a favor." Rouge admitted.

"By the way, speaking of things I'd like to see blown away, what's our resident **Blue Blur** up to?" Shadow wanted to know.

Indeed, what?

"So you're sure that's what he looked like?" Mighty wanted to know, raising an invisible eyebrow as he looked the picture over. Sonic nodded eagerly as he stood by Tails, with a proud-looking Knuckles standing behind them, basking in his humility.

Think about that for a while.

"Yeah, pretty much. But after he conked me over the head, I can't remember anything else that happened in there." Sonic told the armadillo. "...but the eyes."

"Huh?"

"There was...something in their eyes. Some...symbol..."

He could remember...oh yes...

"The way their eyes had glowed so brightly, and the pattern of the irises...it was made up of a two numbers repeating over and over. Ones and zeroes, I'm sure of it!" Sonic whispered, eyes narrowing.

"Hmm. Guardians who were only souls attached to robotic dolls...you being referred to as a "sacrifice"...beings with strange eyes...a Metallurgic circle hidden in a laboratory...and to top it all off, Big saying that Chaos Emeralds were used in the Shanazaran Campaign..." Mighty whispered, frowning darkly as he pulled his sunglasses down slightly. "...I do NOT like the sound of this. This whole thing reeks like some government conspiracy in one of those old 90's movies from back when people thought the Internet could take away your entire life."

"There's too many mysteries here, and the lab's been turned into rubble...what are we supposed to do? We stumble on this huge conspiracy only to have every lead we have turn into a dead end." Knuckles remarked.

"...UUUUUGH." There was a collective moaning and groaning from the foursome as they stood in Mighty's office, with Jet listening on the outside of the door, holding one finger up to his beak and going "Shhhh" at Wave, who tensely stood nearby.

"Sounds like they're talking about something reaaaaally dangerous."

"Well I'm not sure I wanna listen." Wave admitted, holding up a pair of earmuffs and covering the spot where her ears would have been. Unfortunately, it was at that moment that Dr. Eggman himself walked up to them from the other end of the hall.

"Excuse me. Would Sonic the Hedgehog be in this room at the moment?" He asked politely, tapping Wave's shoulder.

She shrieked and jumped a few feet in the air as Jet nervously stepped to the side, allowing Dr. Eggman entrance to the room the others were in. Jet then held his hands up at Wave, who was clinging tightly to a light fixture. "Come on...let go. I'll catch you!"

"I'll try looking at the lists of criminals on record we have." Mighty told Sonic and Tails. "We MIGHT get something. Knux, can you check to see who was workin' under Big ol' buddy ol' pal?" He wanted to know.

"Absolutely! Shouldn't be that-" Knuckles began.

It was then that the man himself entered and everybody immediately snapped into a salute. "DR. EGGMAN!" Knuckles gasped. "Your Supreme Excellent Autocratic Self, sir!"

"Ah, relax, relax. As you were. I came to drop off a fruit basket!" Dr. Eggman said cheerily, holding up a "Easter-Egg" style basket with various fruit loaded into it and a bright pink ribbon on the top. There was a card inside that read "I'm Sorry You're Sad" written in crayon with a cheerful-looking smiley face at the front. "You like grapes? I like grapes. Grapes are fun."

"...uhhh...yeah. Grapes are fun." Sonic remarked, nervously feeling the need to step FAR away from Dr. Eggman.

"I understand you've been doing some...research." Dr. Eggman remarked, stroking his moustache. Everybody in the room immediately blanched, eyes widening, their mouths opening slightly.

"Uhhhh..." Sonic began to sweat like mad. He would have pulled at his collar if he wore one.

"To think...the Chaos Emeralds..." Dr. Eggman growled, looking threateningly down upon Sonic, who gulped nervously.

And then he began to chuckle, and then to laugh out loud, making the others blink in absolute surprise. What on Earth?

"Just kidding! Don't be so defensive. I know there's some unrest among the ranks. Something should be done about it and I trust you to get it done. You know..." He tapped the goggles ato his head. "I've done some investigation of my own. Those who researched the Chaos Emeralds all went MISSING." He informed them all, raising an eyebrow up high as his voice became solemn. "They disappeared some days before the 5th Laboratory was destroyed. It appears as if the enemy is always one step ahead of us. Even with my own considerable intellect put to use..."

He sighed and shook his head. "I don't know the enemy's size, their objectives, what they can do..."

"In other words, we'd best step correct or we'll get our asses handed to us. Uh, sir." Mighty commented.

"Word." Dr. Eggman said, making a hand gesture rather like a sideways peace sign. "Mighty, Knuckles, Sonic, Tails. I need you to keep quite about this. Absolutely quiet. There's nobody in this government you can trust. NOBODY. However..." He rubbed his chin and grinned at them. "When the time comes...I will have quite a lot of work for you to do. So make sure you're ready."

"Yes, sir!" All of them remarked, shouting.

"Siiiir! Siiiiir! Your grand high autocratic siiiiir!" A voice called out.

"Ohhh not AGAIN." Dr. Eggman moaned, going to the window and opening it up. He turned his head, noticing the surprised looks on all their faces. "Oh. You see, I slipped out of work this morning. My pesky subordinates won't go away. They always want me to do everything just because I'm the Autocrat. So UNFAIR, don't you think?" He asked them.

"...yes! Yes, absolutely." Tails finally managed to get out as Dr. Eggman tried to go through the window, only to find his gluteus maximus was...well, stuck.

"An ass-sist, please?" He inquired.

Mighty sighed and he and Knuckles gave the "good doctor" a push, and he was out the window and running off in no time. Sonic sighed. "We have a weiiiiird ruler."

"Hey guys!" Amy announced as she stepped inside the room and beamed broadly at them all. "I got those train tickets you asked for!" She said, holding up two tickets in the air for Sonic and Tails.

"Already on the move? Never can stay in one place, huh?" Knuckles commented, looking Sonic over.

Sonic waved his hand in the air dismissively. "What did you expect? It's the call of the open road and we were born to answer it." He told them all.

"We've decided we want to go and visit our teacher at Angel Island's capital! It's where our teacher lives. It's not that far off, either." Sonic explained.

"...she's gonna kill us." Tails gulped nervously, shaking like a leaf before them all, nervously wringing his white-gloved hands. "She's gonna turn me into a RUG!"

"Don't go pussying out on me!" Sonic insisted, grabbing ahold of Tails and shaking him. "You're scared? We're ALL scared! You'd have to be CRAZY not to be scared! I personally think she'll mount my head on the wall! But we've gotta be brave!"

"We gotta be brave." Tails insisted to himself. "We gotta be brave...we gotta be brave..."

"You gotta be out of your freakin' minds. You're THAT scared of your old teach?" Mighty commented.

"Wait...where IS Angel Island?" Amy wanted to know.

Miles reached into the belt around his waist and took out a small, key-pad-like object. He pressed a button and a large map unfolded on the spot, displaying the entire continent. "See? It's far south of Central City." Sonic told her, pointing down at Angel Island.

"...wait...this city that's located on Angel Island...OOOOOHHH!" Her eyes went wide. "Westside City, the Holy Land itself!"

"Holy...Land?" Mighty blinked a few times. "Fill me in, I ain't no Metallurgist."

"You'll never find a more blessed hamlet of altruists and heroes." Knuckles explained. "It's been home to dozens of advances in magical theory and skill, and magic use is so common there that even the children know how to summon the elements. It's like a...Magic King-"

"Careful, or Disney sues us." Mighty whispered.

"Sorry."

"Take me, take me, take me, take me!" Amy begged, shaking Sonic over and over. "It's SO close to the capital!"

"GAAAH! Okay, okay!" Sonic said, making Amy grin broadly and let him go. "Fine! We head to Westside City, leaving at dawn!...okay, nineish."

"Westside?" Mighty suddenly grinned, getting an idea. He held up his hand and made a "W" gesture. "West Side!" He then flipped that "W" to make an "E". "East Side!" He then held it upside-down. "McDonalds!"

"Pffft!" Amy giggled. "You're **funny**." She told him, playfully whacking him on the arm as he left the room. "See you at the train station tomorrow!"

"...your girlfriend sure is cute." Mighty told Sonic, elbowing him slightly.

"She's **not** my girlfriend!" Sonic muttered swiftly.

"Though not as fine as MY honey mine!" Mighty added proudly.

...

...

...

... "Daddy's goin' out to work now, okay, baby?" Mighty said, hugging his daughter tightly. "I'm gonna try and get home early as I can, okay?"

Amy stood nearby, deciding to pay one more final visit to Mighty's home as Venus Dee Milo hugged Mighty tightly, and Willie Mae Milo smiled in approval and pride at her husband. She always found this sort of sentimental stuff just so **cute**.

"So, you're leavin' today too, right?" Mighty asked. "I'll try and see you off at lunch if I can." He told Amy as he nuzzled his daughter a little.

"I really do appreciate you being so kind to me, Mr. Milo." Amy said, bowing her head slightly as they headed down the stairs and out the front door.

"Please, call me Mighty. Everybody does." Mighty laughed, clapping her on the back. "Whenever you're in Central City, feel free to come here anytime. Me casa es su casa!"

And so, Sonic and Tails boarded the train sharply at nine o'clock, waving goodbye to Knuckles, Mighty, Jet and Wave with cheerful expressions on their faces. As the train began to pull away, Amy leaned back in the seat across from Tails and Sonic, and an idea popped into her head.

"You know, I forgot to ask. Why did you suddenly decide you wanted to see your teacher?" She wanted to know.

"Two reasons." Tails said, holding two fingers up. "First of all, lately we've been on a real losing streak."

"You're JUST going there to better learnhow to make fists meet faces? Oh c'mon. You're such...GUYS." Amy muttered.

"It's NOT just about that!" Sonic stated angrily, folding his arms and "harrumphing". "It's what's "inside". We kind of want to get stronger within. The way we did when we FIRST visited her."

"I see. And the second reason?" Amy wanted to know.

"To find out what she knows about the Chaos Emerald. The other truth that Big spoke about." Tails told her, looking out the window. "We still don't know all the answers, but she's been at this for a looooong time. She might have some idea."

**BGM: Dramatic/heroic musical theme**

"Kind of a long shot...but it's all we've got." Sonic admitted, shrugging slightly. "We can't be afraid of admitting we did the most Cardinal Sin. We'll just walk right up to her and say...and...say..."

**BGM: Record scratch**

"...OHHHH." Sonic held his head in his hands. "Teach is gonna kick our AAAAASS..."

"She'll call it "justified braticide"! Ohhh, if only I could have at least had found a GIRLFRIEND!" Tails whined.

"Gee. She's that bad?" Amy wanted to know, scratching her head.

_"SHE'S THAT BAAAAAD."_ They both sobbed at the same time.

"I know something that'll cheer you up." Amy said, holding up her bag and pulling out some pie. "Ta-daaaa!"

"MMMM." Sonic eagerly bit into it. "This apple pie's deeee-lish!"

"I've gotta put it on the "List of Things I'll Eat When I'm Normal Again", then." Tails said, pulling out his list from his belt and writing in it on the spot.

"Good thing Ms. Willie Mae told me the recipe. I'll cook it for you guys whenever you want, I promise!" Amy informed them happily, nodding her head as Sonic eagerly nom-nom-nom'd more of the apple pie slice. "Mrs. Milo sure is nice! And so is ."

"Mighty's a devoted father, a busybody AND he wouldn't stop bragging about his family." Sonic remarked. "Ahhh, but he was so happy to visit us and cheer us up. And to think he wants to help us with what we're doing...we really ought to thank him next time we're in Central City." He told Tails.

"Yeah, no kidding! I wanna see his daughter again!" Tails admitted.

"She is JUST the cutest thing, isn't she?" Amy remarked, nodding eagerly.

"Yeah, I know!"

...

...

...

... "Ohhhhh! Now THIS is what I'm talking about!" Amy cheered, jumping up in the air and bounding around as Sonic and Tails sighed deeply. Angel Island was an island that floated some 10,000 miles above the ground, with an enormous city built around a towering mystical palace that stretched up into the sky like a golden gift from God himself. Around Westside City, not too far from the capital, there were dozens of temples and houses all over with mystical symbols placed upon doors and windows, and waterfalls magically poured down from a nearby mountain to land in a pristine lake some distance away.

The entire place smelled lovely too, like home-cooked meals and delicious bread fresh from a baker's oven, and there were flags and banners of a green and red and gold decorating the entire place, representing the city's heritage. Red for the echidna people that had created the little slice of paradise, green for the natural magic they tapped into to keep the place afloat, and gold as a symbol of their kings. Yes, the island had been a monarchy once upon a time before it had been made a part of the Eggman Empire.

"Oooooh! Look!" Amy said, rushing over to a nearby church and peering inside to see a circle of people sprinkling some kind of powder around scented candles as they wore hooded cloaks. "Look! A Wiccan Protective Seal Ceremony! I've never seen Wiccans before! Ooh, and they've got a Ram's Skull! And actual RAM'S skull!"

"Uhhhh..."

"And look!" Amy ran over to a store that had dozens of crosses hanging in the window, face pressed against the glass. "The Gnostic Cross! I've only read about the Gnostics in books! To actually see one...I've GOTTA buy one! Those guys were GENIUSES when it came to tapping into the power of the mind and connecting it to Metallurgy!"

"If this place was a person she would have sex with it on the spot." Sonic remarked. "She's practically DROOLING."

"Like a kid at Christmas." Tails laughed. "I think it's CUTE."

"Look at all the people here. We should have just gone straight on to Westside"

"Oooooh!" One pinkly echidna held up Sonic's right arm. "Everybody, look at the inner markings of his rings!"

A large crowd had now formed and were all looking at Sonic and Tails. "Ooooooh!" They all exclaimed as the light caught the glint of the rings. "Aahhhhhh! Ohhhhhhh!"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm hot stuff, I know." Sonic admitted, grinning broadly.

"What happened to that attitude you had five seconds ago?" Tails remarked, rolling his eyes as Sonic waved goodbye to the crowd and they headed down the street.

_"I hope we don't have any adventures that keep us from going straight on to the Capital."_ Sonic thought to himself, sighing slightly.

...

...

...

..."Hmmmm. Dr. Snively Robotnik, eh?" Mighty remarked, rubbing his chin thoughtfully as he looked the newspapers before him over. The Wax nodded eagerly, placing another stack down.

"Yes, apparently he was causing a great deal of trouble by passing off magic as a kind of science that was "breaking through the barriers of human knowledge". He was suckering everybody in Knothole along." The Wax informed Mighty as the two of them sat in the library together, Mighty's eyes peering intently beyond his sunglasses at the articles before him.

"...man. With the Shanazaran Campaign and all these frickin' insurgencies...the Eastern Region's had it rough, haven't they?"

"Not just them, either. It seems there have been issues over in the North and West, too. Border skirmishes and the like." The Wax added, holding up an article in a newspaper from some several weeks ago.

"They let the bodies hit the floor, and before long, the government's gonna get thrown out the door, that's what's gonna happen." Mighty remarked, eyes flashing. "...hmm."

An idea hit him. "...where's the archive room?"

Wax pointed down the hallway. "It's the third right once you pass the bathroom-"

Mighty was off like a bullet. He opened the door to the archives, clearing aside a large clutter of books that were on a desk, and pulled out a thick pencil from off a nearby desk. Grabbing ahold of a map off the wall that showed off the continent of Mobius, he began to make circles at certain spots.

"Shanazar...the Chaos Emeralds...these skirmishes...Knothole...then...hmm. HMM." Mighty frowned darkly. "...this...this does NOT look...I need to tell Dr. Eggman about this." He muttered. "Shadow and the others need to be placed on high-"

The door shut suddenly and Mighty turned his head to look upon an eggplant-colored hedgehog with a large fringe of hair and rather...interesting...clothes.

Her eyes, upon gazing closely...were made up of tiny violet ones and zeroes.

"Well, well! Mighty the Armadillo. Such a pleasure to meet such a BIG, STRONG, MAN. And to think, all the girls said I'd NEVER find a hunk in the library." She remarked cheerfully with a hint of a sneer ruining her otherwise considerably pretty features.

"...I suppose I should be FLATTERED that I'm going to die at the hands of a hot chick." He remarked, looking over at her, one hand clenched into a fist and hidden behind his side as her hair became prickly and strong on the spot, slowly elongating out into harsh spikes, eager to slash into his flesh. Mighty smirked. "But I'm not letting it end YET!" He exclaimed.

The hedgehog thrust her head forward and a lock of hair struck out as Mighty grabbed ahold of a the pencil and tossed it.

SCHWING!

**SCHLUCK!**

A few moments later, Mighty staggered out of the archive door, clutching a very-heavily bloodied shoulder, gasping in pain. He quickly lurched down the hallway, muttering as he headed for the hallway that would lead him to the library's phones. Inside the archives, Sonia's eyes were wide open, and some rusty-brown/red fluid oozed out of her mouth as she stood shivering on the spot, the pencil stuck deep in her eye. She let out a paind gasping howl as she pulled it out, panting as she hit the ground.

Mighty grabbed ahold of the phone as the Wax ran over to him. "Sir, what happened?" He asked, eyes wide in horror.

"It's...I just...gotta call the...call the..." Mighty mumbled as he prepared to dial.

But than a horrifying realization sunk in. He frowned darkly and then slammed the phone back into place, lurching out the front door. "Sorry...need...to go..." He muttered, making his way outside of the laboratory.

Slowly but surely he lurched down the steps, his breath coming in ragged gasps, his shoulder throbbing dull with the pain. He ignored this inconvenience, continuing to move forward, heading for a payphone some distance away by a bench near some trees.

"Helloooo? Who is this?"

"Miss...I need you to connect me...connect me to Colonel Shadow. NOW." Mighty mumbled out, taking deep breaths.

"Uh...we kinda have a rule about not allowing civilians to connect to anybody-"

"This is Mighty from Central City! I'm calling because this is an important emergency! My codename's "Sapphire"!"

"Oh, well, okay then..."

"Goddamn red tape..." Mighty mumbled as he reached into his pocket, pulling out a picture of his family and biting his lip intently, allowing his thumb to brush over the space where his daughter was. "...Lord almighty, don't let me reach his voice mail..." He prayed.

"One moment and I'll connect you."

"Hurry it up! The entire government is in extreme danger! They're all-"

CA-CLICK.

The sound of a gun cocking made him stiffen.

"Put...that phone...down." Wave the Swallow said, frowning as she held a pistol up, aiming it intently at Mighty's head. "...as in, NOW."

Mighty turned his head around slowly, eyes widening as he took a good look at the bird that was pointing a gun at him, his body not shaking with pain...but with horror. "I said, put the phone down-" Wave repeated.

"...Wave...no. You're not her." He muttered.

"What exactly are you talking about?" Wave said, looking annoyed.

"The top part of Lieutenant Wave's beak...ought to have NOSTRILS. Like JET'S." Mighty muttered darkly, his eyes becoming feral slits.

"Wave" blinked a few times. "Oh? Really? How careless of me. You mean...like...THIS?" "She" asked, holding two fingers up and putting them on her beak, creating two nostrils on the spot.

"I've had acid trips that made more sense than today has..." Mighty muttered, seeing "Wave's" eyes change...becoming red...becoming made up of a steady, bright string of ones and zeroes.

"Don't go blaming ME for this, organic. You're the one who's bright mind figured things out when you should have stayed stupid." "Wave" commented snarkily, rolling her eyes.

"Awww, now have a heart. I've got a wife and kid waiting for me at home..." Mighty commented quietly, reaching down and picking up his photo. He then growled. "I'M NOT DYING HERE!"

He whipped around and threw the photo, and it cut into "Wave's" head, making her stagger back as Mighty promptly kicked her in the gut, then grabbed her neck.

CRA-KRAK!

"...be seein' you." Mighty said, waving goodbye as he yanked the photo out of her head and walked off, heading down the street.

There was silence for a few moments. And then...

"Oh, HONEY...how could you do that to me?"

That voice. Mighty stiffened and turned around, fist held high...

And he stopped, seeing his WIFE'S face looking right back at him, her neck twisted in place. "Why you gotta hurt me, baby? WHY?" She asked, looking mockingly at him.

Mighty's fist clenched tightly, his body shaking, tears rolling down his cheeks as he found he could not move the fist to meet this imposter's face, even though she was raising the gun back up. He could not kill this being that had stolen his beloved's features.

"_...you...__**bastard**__..."_ He whispered.

BANG!

...

...

...

..."Hello? What is it?" Shadow remarked, holding the receiver of his phone to his ear.

"A call from Mighty on a public line."

"Oh? Alright. Patch me through."

CLICK!

"Mighty, if you're calling to brag about your family again I'll..."

Nothing. No sound except...faint...PANTING?

"...Mighty? Mighty?"

Metal Sonic grabbed the receiver and promptly hung the phone up. He would have smirked had he any mouth to do so. "You organics risk your lives over such inane things. Stupid." He said, turning his head to look at the slowly-dying Mighty before walking away. Inch by inch the blood pooled out, oozing over the photograph of Mighty's family as the armadillo tried to raise himself off the road.

"...Willie...Venus...I'm...I'm sorry..." He whispered tearfully, his gloved hands twitching slightly. "I'm so, so sorry...I thought...I'd get...home...early..."

...

...

...

... "Hello? Shadow! How are you! Is Mighty working late to-what's...what's wrong?"

"...Ms. Milo, I...I'm...you need to sit down for this..."

...

...

...

...it was a solemn affair. His body had been placed in a beautiful pine box, the flag of the country draped atop, a giant robotic egg with a mustache against a bright red background. Shadow stood near the grave that his dear friend would be lowered into as Rouge stood by HIM, gently squeezing his shoulder. Willie Mae and Venus were standing across from them as Dr. Eggman stood with a private guard, standing at the far end of the crowd of people who had come to the funeral.

Ironically, it was a beautiful day. There were few clouds out, and a gentle wind was caressing everyone's face, as if nature itself was trying to desperately console those grieving. Colonel Michael "Mighty" Milo the Armadillo was going to be buried with high honors in Central City's Military Gravesite, where the dead soldiers were given their due.

Everybody was wearing black outfits. Jackets. Pants. Belts. Hats. Knuckles's face was an unreadable mask of stone as they fired off the 21 gun salute into the air, and Ray and the others were all trying desperately to contain their tears. Heavy was standing nearby, playing a sad tune on his guitar as they lowered the body into the ground, singing solemnly and gently despite his robotic nature.

_**Let's not drive away just yet,  
Give me a mooooment more!  
To walk through those rooms again,  
To walk through that doooooor...**_

_**If we turn off the radio...  
I've only to close my eeeeyes...  
And the wind in the sycamores...  
Will carry me hoooome!**_

_**The vine of my memoooory...  
Is blooming around those eaaaaves  
But its true it's a chore to tame...**_

_**Wisteeeriiiiiiaaaaaa... Wisteeeriiiiiiaaaaaa...**_

"Mom...why are they burying pop-pop?" Venus Dee whimpered.

"...Venus...sweetie..." Willie whispered, blowing her nose on her hankie for a moment before looking nervously down at her daughter.

"If they throw dirt on him, he won't be able to go to work." The young armadillo insisted. "He won't..."

"...I...I'm..."

She finally held her daughter tightly and cried into her as Venus continued to speak. "Poppa said he had a lot of work to do! Why can't he come out of there?" She begged.

_**I'm tempted to ring the bell.  
Maybe they'd let me iiiin...  
Or maybe its just as well...  
To let it all beeee...**_

_**Remembeeeeer the price we paid?  
It seemed like a looooot back theeeeen...  
Remember the love we made...  
The day we moved iiiiiiin?**_

The red echidna's stony face was now broken with tears that trickled down his chin as he covered his head in his big hands, sobbing openly. Dr. Eggman shook slightly, biting into his lip. Shadow's fist clenched tightly and he grit his teeth.

"Don't bury him! DON'T BURY HIM! _POPPAAAA!_"

_**The vine of my memoooory...  
Is blooming around those eaaaaves  
But its true it's a chore to tame...**_

_**Wisteeeriiiiiiaaaaaa... Wisteeeriiiiiiaaaaaa...**_

"_...promoted two ranks for dying in the line of duty."_ Shadow thought to himself. _"...he probably would have been bragging about it all day to them...Brigadier General Mighty the Armadillo...dammit."_

He closed his eyes tightly. _"What's the goddamn point of having somebody who said they'd support me from below literally...and then going ABOVE me in...you think this is FUNNY, you...you __idiot__...you'd think this was funny, I guess..."_

"...Shadow..." Rouge said quietly, gently squeezing his shoulder again.

"...you know...looking at this...I think I know how those boys felt...why they'd try to play God...what could drive them to commit "that" sin..." He mumbled to Rouge as he slowly turned and walked away a few dozen feet.

"Are you alright?" Rouge asked quietly.

_**It did need some pruning back...**_

_**And I know...that's it not my place...**_

_**But how could they just cut it down?**_

_**And leave not a traaaaace?**_

_**Let's not drive away just yet,  
Give me a mooooment more!  
To walk through those rooms again,  
To walk through that doooooor...**_

"...no...I want to get out of this rain." Shadow muttered.

"There's no-"

She saw a tear trickling down his cheek, and instantly stopped herself.

_**The vine of my memoooory...  
Is blooming around those eaaaaves  
But its true it's a chore to tame...**_

"...you're right. It's getting chilly. Let's go." She said quietly, gently hugging him close to her.

_**Wisteeeriiiiiiaaaaaa... Wisteeeriiiiiiaaaaaa...**_

**Author's Note:**

**The song, in case you didn't know, is about going back to one's old home to find out how much it's changed. It's a haunting little song and it always makes me cry a bit as I listen to it. **

**...oh, Mighty, forgive me. I'm sorry. -_-  
**


	11. We Are All Connected!

_The Chaos Emeralds. _

_It is a thing of immeasurable power. It grants joy to the suffering, victory to those on the verge of defeat, life to the dead...shining like a star in the hands of it's wielder, it possesses the power to turn one's thoughts into reality. It makes the impossible possible. Men honor it and worship what it can do. People believe it to be a gift from God._

_Yet what is required to make it..._

_Is the work of the Devil._

**Episode Ten: **

**We Are All Connected!**

**我々は、すべての接続されて！**

"So tell me again, what was it that he was saying?" Shadow wanted to know, frowning slightly as he looked over at the Wax, who was looking on a snazzy metal clipboard which showed off a transcript of the phone call Mighty had made the other day.

"Hmm. "This is Mighty from Central City! I'm calling because this is an important emergency! My codename's "Sapphire"! Hurry it up...the entire government is in extreme danger". Those were his exact words." He went on, leading Shadow into the archive room.

The black-furred hedgehog examined the place, looking over the scattered papers. "Did he get into a fight with somebody?" He asked, seeing the state of the room.

"We believe so." The Wax pointed at the ground and out the door. "There's a blood trail leading from inside the room out into the hallway. "He then tried to place a call HERE, but changed his mind and went outside."

"...why outside?" Shadow wondered. He rubbed his chin, thinking this over. He had deliberately tried to contact him. HIM. Not somebody else in the government...a private call of extreme importance...

Shadow headed outside the library to the phone booth that Mighty had been in, eyes intently gazing at the receiver. What had he been thinking about?...what?

"Sir?" Shadow turned his head to see Rouge and Knuckles were standing some distance away. "I've brought Knuckles."

"We DO have some suspects as to who murdered Mighty." Knuckles told Shadow, saluting briskly...before he dropped his hand and deeply, sadly sighed. "But we don't know who those people ARE."

"Why can't you tell me?" Shadow snapped. "Are you going to disobey a superior officer?"

"I can't tell you." Knuckles said firmly, eyes looking intently into Shadow's face.

"...fine. Get out of my sight." Shadow muttered, waving his hand dismissively. Knuckles walked off as Rouge turned to look over at Shadow, who folded his arms and bit his lip. "...it's good enough."

"Huh?"

"He said SUSPECTS...and THOSE people. People working as a group are responsible...and the fact that he couldn't tell me anything even though I'm of a higher rank means that somebody forbade him to talk...somebody of an even higher rank. If they're maintaining this level of secrecy...it's somebody from the senior staff...and I've only seen this level of cover-up from one place...regarding what the **Metal Brotherhood **are looking for."

"...what's that?" Rouge wanted to know.

"The Chaos Emeralds."

Rouge's eyes shot open in surprise. She let in a harsh breath. "Wh-WHAT?" She asked. "Then...an organization with connections to the senior staff...with knowledge of the Chaos Emeralds...this is serious...Mighty might have stumbled onto something incredibly dangerous..."

"I'm going to be positioned at Central Headquarters soon...I'll be able to fully examine the Senior Staff. I'll smoke out whoever killed Mighty." Shadow promised.

"You know I'm with you, 100 percent, right?" Rouge insisted, giving him a grin.

"Wouldn't have it any other way." Shadow remarked, giving her a grin right back.

...

...

...

..."Boy, what a spectacular adventure we had yesterday!" Tails told Sonic as they sat together on the train that would take them into Angel Island's capital. "Three characters we'll never meet again, a reaffirmation of something we already believed in, AND we dropped Amy off on a bus for a little while to help her get better at making rings!"

"Yeah, and how convenient that we did it all off-screen, too." Sonic agreed, looking out the window.

"Huh?"

"Nothing. Y'know...I was thinking about HIM." Sonic remarked, eyes slightly glazing over with memory as he rested his head on his hand and sighed a bit. Those sky blue eyes continued to haunt his dreams...that look on his father's face.

"...I wonder where he is." Tails commented quietly.

"...yep." Sonic sighed.

"Yeeep." Tails said right back.

"Mmm-hmm."

"...yep."

...

...

...

...the capital of Angel Island was a vaguely Greco-Roman place with ivory pillars on the largest buildings, fountains littered everywhere, and finely-paved roads. The windows were mostly stained glass on the big train station, which had an enormous circular roof at the top, with sunshine beaming in through the glass. The city was located at the base of the highest mountains on the island, with a waterfall flowing down the slopes towards one particularly huge lake.

"So...here we are." Sonic said as they headed down main street and up towards a shop that had a big ring of flowers on the front with an "Open" sign attached. There was a nice little mat that read "Welcome" beneath the front door, and a bell attached to the door, small and silver, which would let all know when somebody was walking inside. It had big, pinkish-rimmed windows and an overhang of bright green, and a tribal decorative pattern made of triangles and circles running around the door. A "good luck" seal. "...maybe we'll be lucky."

"Maybe."

"There's a chance she isn't home. There's a chance she might not even be in the city..." Sonic gulped.

The door creaked open and their eyes went wide as a man stepped out. Before them was a strong, powerful-looking, dark-brown-furred Echidna with a thick white beard and intensely reddish/purple eyes. He was wearing a very thick necklace of jade and had eyebrows that were so thick you could have sworn they were almost alive. He frowned, putting the spear down and to the side.

"Thought you were those wild flickies that keep getting into the trash. They actually snuck INSIDE once." He told the two. "...gettin' inside the sugar drawer. Gettin' BOLD."

"Yeah, that's...problematic 'n stuff." Sonic commented nervously. _Oh God...those eyebrows...they're...so...BIG!_

"Yeah, you should always be careful of pests, Mr. Pachacamac!" Tails said, nodding his head eagerly. _Holy cow, I think they're bigger than his ARMS, those things on his head..._

"You know Sonic, you've grown since I last saw you." The echidna said, nodding vigorously and rubbing his head, then rubbing Tails's head.

"Ohhhh yeaaaah." Tails said happily, his tails whacking against the ground. "Oh, that's the spot. _OOHHHH_ that's the spot..."

"Hold on a moment." Pachacamac stepped back inside the house and called up the stairs. "Tikaaaaal! Your favorite furry fraternal friends are here."

"...the prodigal sons have returned?"

"Yep! Can you get out of bed?"

"I'm fine. Doing a little better today, actually. Be right down!" A distinctly feminine voice called right back.

"She's lying down cuz she's not feeling better?...I guess her health hasn't improved." Sonic said, turning to look at Tails.

Or rather, that's what he was ABOUT to say. Instead, he was interrupted halfway through "hasn't" as a foot slammed into his face and he was sent flying backwards through the air, hitting the small little grassy front yard their teacher had, ruining a patch of violets. Tails, meanwhile, had been knocked to the side by a the door that had flown open to let their teacher out and was lying on the ground, blinking stupidly as he looked up into the clouds.

"So much for teach having "health issues"." Tails finally got out, gasping at the sight of the growling figure that was standing there, fists clenched tightly.

"You stupid, STUPID...CHILD! I heard you went and sold out...you're a "Hog of the Military" now! Is that true?"

She then turned to look at Tails and blinked a few times, and now her features were once more recognizable. A gentle-faced echinda with pretty cobalt eyes and orange/peach fur, a tribal dress of green, white and pink triangles, and small golden rings on her arms...two blue rings on her wrists, and a golden headband and necklace with a small blue gem in the center...this was Tikal, their old teacher, their dear mentor.

"Tails? Oh, I'm so sorry!" She immediately apologized, quickly lifting him back up and dusting the grass off of him. "You alright?" She wanted to know, a gentle look of concern on her features. She then blinked a few times. "Wait...you smell...off."

"I'm surprised you're out of bed and feeling better. I thought you weren't feeling better." Sonic remarked, rubbing his head as he walked over to her.

"HA! Nonsense, I'm fine." Tikal said, putting one hand on her chest as Tails looked over at Sonic. "Now that you're here, let's-"

BLURGH!

Some blood streamed out of her mouth for a few moments as she coughed a few times, and Sonic and Tails let out simultaneous screeches of surprise and horror. _"JEEEESUS CHRIST!" _

"Honey, don't overexert yourself." Pachacamac insisted, patting Tikal on the shoulder.

"Ohhh, you always get so worried over me." The echidna told her elder, hugging him tightly. "It's so sweet of you. Thank you, father."

...

...

...

... "The Chaos Emeralds never really piqued my interest." Tikal told Sonic and Tails as they sat inside her home. She'd made them all tea and was now munching slightly on a cinnamon scone. "Not my "thing"."

"Okaaaaaay." Sonic remarked, nodding firmly a few times. "I get it."

"But wait." Pachacamac spoke up. "Tikal, didn't you meet somebody in Central City who was very knowledgeable about Life Magic? That was only 2, 3 years ago."

Sonic and Tails's eyes widened. "R-really? What was his name?"

Tikal rubbed her chin, thinking back. "Yes, I remember him. Eyes like those are hard to forget. I think his name was...NiGHTS..."

Sonic stiffened. Tails took in a harsh breath. "...grrrr..." Sonic growled.

"You know him?" Tikal remarked, looking confused.

"...he's our father." Tails murmured.

"...so that bastard's still kickin', huh..." Sonic mumbled furiously.

"Ohhh. The father you said left you and your mother all those years ago. That "deadbeat, dirty bum", that's the one?" Tikal asked.

"Uh-huh." The two brothers said with a firm nod.

Tikal then blinked stupidly, suddenly feeling even MORE confused. "...wait. How is that..." She looked from Tails to Sonic. "...I mean...neither of you LOOK..."

"That JERK. It's because of him mom died. It's HIS fault..." Sonic hissed, gloved hands digging into his leg.

_It was early in the morning. The sun was barely poking it's head over the Earth as Sonic rubbed his eyes, looking down the hallway at the sight of his mother standing there by their father as he hoisted a backpack on, looking solemn. Aleena turned to look upon her son and blinked a few times, then smiled gently. "Oh, what are you doing Olgilvie, Miles?"_

_"Miles said he had ta go to da bathroom." Olgilvie told them his mother._

"_Aww, how nice of you to look after your brother." Aleena said, gently stroking her son's head, smiling broadly. "Good on you, Olgilvie!"_

_His dad blinked a few times, looking down upon him. His bright blue eyes stared intently at Sonic's green ones, his two-pronged purple hat hanging down, unmoving. It was as if he was a wax sculpture. He cat-like eyes were unreadable as he finally turned and floated out the open door..._

_And with that, he was gone from their lives, never to come back. Their mother...would never ever explain when he'd get back. She always kept quiet...always kept smiling. Dad would always 'come back soon'. But he never did._

_Life just went on without him, and the two kids didn't think that much about it, because Mom was there, and they were happy. What else did they need? _

_One day it all went wrong. Their mom was slumped on the ground, barely breathing. Their perfect world was crumbling around them. Sonic was aware that his brother was screaming. He was unable to feel anything but the crushing cold running up his body seeing that figure on the floor._

_No...no, it couldn't be. Mom couldn't be hurt. Mom was strong. Mom could never be..._

Sonic was now biting his lip deeply as Tails felt it wise to change the subject slightly. "So, did he say anything about the Chaos Emeralds?"

"Hmm. He did say something about how he had a "big wish unfulfilled"...and he seemed so happy about having it come true." Tikal admitted, nodding her head. "...but enough of that. Let's eat!"

Soon all of them were sitting around, enjoying a fine meal of home-cooked meatloaf, bread rolls, corn and peppers. It was one of the best things they'd ever had! Well, best meals SONIC had ever had. Tails, sadly, was unable to partake in any of it, though he was furiously scribbling down the recipe for the meatloaf on his little notepad.

"How come you don't want to try any of it yourself?" Pachacamac wanted to know, looking a bit confused as he held a slice of meatloaf on his fork up for Tails to sniff.

"Oh, I had quite a lot to eat on the train. We've been very busy, y'know." The fox went on, eagerly nodding his head.

"You know, we helped a woman give birth off-screen." Sonic commented. "Everybody gave it their all and it was really inspirational!"

"Yes, life is something to be proud of, isn't it?" Tikal said quietly, munching on a roll. "...you should take pride in your lives. You've both accomplished so much..."

"_You sure haven't changed much, have you?"_ Sonic thought to himself, looking back on the first time they'd met their teacher.

SOME TWO YEARS AFTER ALEENA'S DEATH...

The water was rising higher and higher towards the hills where the town was, the river overflowing from days and days of rain. Desperately people tried to stack bags and bags of cement to keep the floodwaters from reaching higher ground, but the young hedgehog and fox were keenly aware that this wasn't going to last.

Their fears were confirmed minutes later when the dam burst and people ran back, horrified. "Head for higher ground!" Was the cry as they rushed away...past an advancing female echidna who looked at the oncoming flow of water, frowning a bit.

She held one hand up and then spread her fingers out, thrusting her palm forward. "BACK!" She roared out.

THWOOOOOSHAAAAA! The water flowed back into the river, and Tikal then raised up her other hand. "Riiiiise." She demanded, as the earth below her glowed brightly. Instantly enormous metal structures shot up from the ground, forming a protective wall-like structure right on the spot

"And that'll do it. You know what I feel like?" The echidna said, turning to an older gentleman. "Smoothies. I could go for a nice smoothie right now. Something with melons in it."

"...woaaaaah." All of the men and women who'd been working on the barrier from before commented as onlookers gasped. "Who are you?"

"Just a simple retired priestess passing by-"

BLUUURGH!

She vomited some blood on the spot and everybody simultaneously sweat-dropped. "Uhhhhhh..."

"I'm fine...I'm...I'm fine..." Tikal moaned as her father held her steady and the fox and the hedgehog looked at each other, then at her.

"Please take us on as your pupils, miss!" The two of them exclaimed.

"Look, uh...I can't." Tikal said nervously, shaking her head and then looking away. "Shouldn't you be going back to your parents?"

"We don't have any."

"......" Tikal blinked slowly, turning her head to look back at the mournful faces of the two. "...awww, heck. Do I really have a choice?...okay. Okay. From now on...you two will be my pupils." She informed the two.

...

...

...

...Tikal had taken young Olgilvie and Miles to a private island located on the largest lake of Angel Island. It was surrounded by almost two miles of water, and they had to stay there. For two months.

"Uhhh...what?"

"Explain this again?"

"It's very simple." Tikal said as she stood in the boat with her father, arms folded. "This is the provisional training. You have to survive on your own for the next month. Do that...and I'll train you for real. And you're not to use ANY magic. Trust me...I'll know if you do." She said, tapping the side of her head and giving them a look.

"...er..." The two nervously glanced at each other. THIS...could be a problem. "Uh...are there...wild animals living here?"

"What is Magic? Provide the answer for me at the end of the month. If not...I'm sending you back home. Oh, and here!"

She tossed them a knife and it landed on the sand. "This'll help. Goodbye!"

She then waved cheerfully as the two looked at her. "But...but..." Miles began.

Olgilvie sobbed. _"SONOFA-"_

...

...

...

... "I'm hungry." Miles mumbled as they rested against a tree and looked up at the sky.

"I wanna sleep in a BED."

"...HOW IS THIS TRAINING FOR MAGIC?" Olgilvie yelled angrily, shaking his fists in the air at the moon, pretending it was Tikal's face. "CURSE YOU! CURSE YOU TO-"

Gruuummmbllllle...

"...ohhhh, my stomaaaaaaach..." Olgilvie moaned, leaning back against the tree.

"Do you really think the boys will be alright?" Pachacamac asked his daughter as he rolled out a loaf of bread onto the table, frowning slightly as he sprinkled some herbs on.

"As I learned, the best sort of knowledge is what you gain from experience." Tikal told her dad as she got to work on setting the table for dinner. "This will be the best way to drive home the basic essentials of Magic into them. If they don't learn anything from this, it means they haven't the potential to be my pupils." She sighed. "I KNOW it's harsh, but sometimes you need to be cruel to be kind. I've got a good feeling about them, you know." She added, nodding her head to the side.

"It's their lives I'm worried about. What if they are seriously hurt?" Pachacamac said, finishing up the bread roll.

"In case you forgot, I was up at Nocturne for an entire month, in the cold wind, fighting off bears! GODLESS KILLING MACHINES." She added, waving a finger in the air.

"Honey, that's an unfair comparison. These are stupid kids. They don't have the balls you do." Pachacamac informed her.

"...I know...I know." She sighed. "That island has plenty of things to eat. They won't die."

THE NEXT MORNING...

"I'm not doing it." Olgilvie said, shaking his head vigorously as he handed the knife back to Miles. "You do it."

"Ohhhh no!" Miles said as they stood over a wild rabbit that they'd caught in a rope trap. "Non-sapient or not, I REFUSE to add to our collected inhumanity by killing that poor thing!" He said, shoving the knife back on Miles.

"You're only saying that because you kept reading "Watership Down"!" Olgilvie snapped at him. "C'moooon!"

"I can't stab something that I'd keep as a PET! Can't we just eat berries or something?" Miles insisted.

"_I can't keep doing these "Bambi eyes" for much longer..." _the rabbit thought to itself.

"YOU do it!"

"**YOU** do it!"

"_**YOU**_ do-"

It was then that the point was made moot, as a wild fox promptly leapt out of the bush, grabbed the rabbit, and scampered off.

"...Miles...if I were to suggest we kill and eat that fox...would you consider it cannibalism?"

"...no. No, I would not." Miles said, gripping the knife tightly.

They ran after the fox, rushing past brush and flowers to see...the mommy was depositing the now-dead rabbit in front of two cubs.

"...oh." Olgilvie commented.

"...OH."

"...awwwwww." The two said at the same time, looking at the cubs. "They're so CUUUU-"

Then the cubs began chewing into the rabbit, stripping fur from flesh, matting their muzzles with blood.

"...let's stick to fish." Olgilvie decided, holding his stomach and his mouth as Miles dry-heaved into a nearby bush.

"Uh...how are we supposed to catch the fish if we've got no rods, nets or hooks?" Miles managed to get out.

"...god...dammit." Olgilvie muttered, just as thunder cracked overhead.

...

...

...

... "We've been here for SEVEN DAYS." Miles muttered as he leaned against a tree which had seven marks in it. "...I almost sunk to the level of nibbling on my brother's ear. And now..." He sighed and looked at the sight of his brother stuffing ants into his mouth. "...are you okay?" He asked, sighing sadly.

Olgilvie began coughing madly, panting and heaving as he held his chest. "GOD, they were sour, I...I can't believe I just ate..."

And with that, his eyes widened. A horrifying, sad realization hit him. He thought about everything that was around him, everything that he'd enjoyed before. He thought about the meals his mom had made him and Miles for breakfast, lunch and dinner. He thought about the animals he and Miles had seen.

"I'm alive...because I ate those ants...I'm alive...from eating life. I..." He held his head down slightly, then bit his lip. "...we are NOT gonna die." He murmured, looking back up at his brother.

They got better. They caught more wild rabbits...and squirrels and chipmunks! They sharpened sticks and made them into spears. They got to work on building a fire and soon were able to COOK their meals properly. Soon they were enjoying fresh-grilled fish fillet by the fire one night, as the stars twinkled gently overhead.

"Mmmm! This would go great with some salt." Miles admitted.

"Ooh! Well, who do we have here?" Olgilvie commented, looking over Miles's shoulder. They turned to see the two fox cubs were approaching, interested in the smell of the meat drifting through the air.

"Awww, wanna slice?" Miles asked gently, tossing them one of the cooked fish to the very-grateful wild cubs, who began happily tearing it apart.

Days passed. Soon Tikal would arrive to pick them up again. And they had an answer for her. They had realized what magic was.

"I've been thinking about it all this time...but I only have a vague idea about it." Miles told his brother, looking up at the night sky as they lay on a blanket of thick leaves.

"...well...I think I figured it out. Remember back when I ate those ants? I had this...this..."

"Epiphany?"

"Yeah, that's the thing. I thought that "If I don't eat them, I'll die...and then I'll be eaten by the ants, or the foxes, or the birds...or if I died out in the water, by the fishes." Olgilvie told his brother. "I'd go back to the earth and my body would fertilize the ground and technically end up as grass, and the RABBITS would eat that."

"The food chain, you mean? But it can't just be that, right?"

"No, it's more than that. Think about it." Olgilvie said, pointing up at the stars. "Long ago, this entire island might have been at the bottom of the sea. And some day, it could be the peak of a mountain. All things are connected. Everything's a part of this huge thing...the Universe, God, call it what you like. But we're ALL connected to each other in some way. And not just to living beings."

"You're right...we're connected to everything on Earth...and everything beyond..." Miles realized, eyes widening in awe.

...

...

...

... "Well? What's your answer?" Tikal asked, looking the two over as her father stood by the boat. "What is Magic?"

"Magic is what connects us all." Olgilvie said.

"Magic is not just a part of life, it IS Life. The life that all things have." Miles said.

"It's a wellspring of potential that can never truly die out for it's always appearing everywhere you look. **Magic is unlimited**." The two said at the same time.

Tikal looked them over, and then nodded firmly. "Good answer. One HECK of a good answer. Let's move onto the main training!"

...

...

...

... "The basis of Metallurgy is in rings. Why is that?" Tikal inquired as she walked down a path with Olgilvie and Miles walking along side her.

"Because they're circles. They have neither beginning, nor end, like the power of God itself, who granted Magic to us all." Olgilvie spoke up.

"And there are different kinds of rings to invoke different kinds of powers. Some are dependent on the elements, others are on the raw potential of people's bodies and minds..." Miles went on. "Some directly upon Him, others on "that one"."

"Good! And I want you to keep reviewing until lunch is ready!" Tikal said as they approached her home.

"Wait. Teach, you don't seem to need to make a circle of rings. You can just flick your hand or fingers and perform magic...how can you do that?" Miles inquired.

Tikal's hand stopped, inches from the doorknob. Finally she spoke quietly. "...I suppose you could say...that my body itself...is a circle of rings. You'll know what I'm talking about when your hands reach up and touch the face of God..."

...

...

...

...Sonic's eyes widened as he sat up in the bed he'd been lying in. Tails looked at him, blinking a few times. "What's wrong? You're all pale..."

"...bro, teach's seen Chaos." Sonic whispered.

"So, you've figured it out?" Tikal asked, stepping into the room, arms folded. They turned to gasp at the sight of her. "But you know, I've figured some things out too. The rings on your arms and legs...the SMELL of your brother, Sonic...let me guess...you met with Chaos yourself?" She inquired, frowning darkly.

"...yes." Sonic murmured, rubbing the back of his neck.

"...both of us...we both are...sinners." Tikal mumbled, one hand held over her face as Sonic's eyes widened at the mention of that word. "We went too far..."

"...if you saw it...then..." Sonic nervously spoke up. "...what happened?"

Tikal's body shuddered as she tried to suppress her tears. "...I tried to...I was...there was this man. A stranger who was just blowing into town. I didn't care about him, but...the child growing within me...I wanted to do the responsible thing...I wanted to be a good mother, but it...it never even saw the light of day. That's why I..."

"I understand." Sonic told her quietly, gripping his arm nervously.

"As a result, different parts of my insides were stripped from my body. I should have told you sooner...I could have saved you the pain of..." Tikal murmured.

"No, no, it's alright!" Sonic insisted, waving his hands in the air. "I don't mind, really!"

"Yeah, and I'm looking forward to the food I'm going to be able to eat when I'm normal again!" Tails added, holding up his notepad.

Tikal walked over and hugged them tightly. "...you don't need to put on a brave front." She insisted quietly, sadly. "...not for me."

And with that, they allowed themselves to cry, holding onto their teacher tightly, Sonic letting the tears freely flow as Tails's wailing cries echoed into the night.

"Forgive us, teacher..."

"We're so sorry..."

_"We're so sorry..."_


	12. There's A Whole Other World Underground

_The Chaos Emeralds. _

_It is a thing of immeasurable power. It grants joy to the suffering, victory to those on the verge of defeat, life to the dead...shining like a star in the hands of it's wielder, it possesses the power to turn one's thoughts into reality. It makes the impossible possible. Men honor it and worship what it can do. People believe it to be a gift from God._

_Yet what is required to make it..._

_Is the work of the Devil._

**Episode Eleven: **

**There's A Whole Other World Underground!**

**が全体の他の世界が地下だ**

"In all honesty...I'm impressed." Tikal told the two brothers as she looked out the window, hands on her hips, her cobalt eyes furrowed with her brow in thought. "You saw the Door and made it back alive...considering your age, that's incredible. Absolutely incredible."

"Yeah, we feel SO lucky."

"But you must still take responsibility for what you've done. I can't teach you any more. You're expelled. I am no longer your instructor." Tikal said firmly, folding her arms.

"WHAT? But...but teacher, pl-" Sonic began.

Tails held his hand out and stopped Sonic in place. "We understand. Th-thank you, teacher. For...everything." He said softly, bowing his head. "Come on, brother, let's...leave her alone."

"...alright." Sonic said quietly, biting his lip as they left the room. "Alright..."

...

...

...

... "Well...I suppose this is it. You've ceased being her students." Tikal's father told them as he handed Sonic his luggage. "...but feel free to stop by and say "Hi" when you get the chance." He added. "You're no longer teacher and pupil. You're as equals now."

"...equals?" Sonic asked, looking down at his luggage, then at the train that was pulling into the station.

"Wait, if we're equals then-"

"GAAAH!" Sonic slapped his head. "God, we're dumbasses! How could we not...come on, we gotta go back and talk to her! We could actually LEARN something!" He insisted, quickly running off, with Tails running right behind him.

"Don't go getting yourself killed!" Tikal's father called after them as they rounded a corner and ran off into the streets, the night sky spreading overhead.

Tikal was cutting up some parsley in her kitchen when Sonic kicked the door in. "Teach!"

TWHOOSH! A spoon knocked into Sonic's forehead and he groaned, dropping his luggage and moaning as he held his sore head. "I told you to not come back! What are you still doing here?" Tikal wanted to know.

"Quick, we have to do something before she does the "Nostril Flare of Total Rejection"." Tails whispered. They both got on their knees and placed their hands UPON their knees, bowing their heads. "We came here to find a lead about how to get our original forms back!"

"We're not leaving until you help us!" Sonic went on.

"...I'm too much of a pushover." Tikal sighed, putting the parsley down and folding her arms. "Alright...what do you like to know?"

SOON...

"So you didn't actually see "The Ultimate Truth"?" Tikal wanted to know, rubbing her chin as she and the boys sat in the living room. She looked intently at Tails, who shook his head.

"Uh-uh. I've no idea what that even means."

"You MIGHT have lost your memory of it out of shock." Tikal told him, looking concerned. "We should try getting your memory back. Do you realize how important it is?"

"...you're right...I lost use of PARTS of my body...so did YOU..." Sonic said, looking at Tikal. "But bro, you lost your ENTIRE form! You would have gotten right up to the nitty gritty! Better than ALL of us! You would have seen ALL of the Ultimate Truth!" He told Tails, who gasped.

"You're right, that DOES make sense. The more you pay, the more you know...and I kind of ended up paying the full price, so I SHOULD know...somewhere in my head..." Tails murmured. "We've got to go for it."

"...alright. Let me ask somebody I know about how to get your memory back. But first thing's first..." Tikal held up a small bowl from the table. "Have a hard candy, and then let me cook up a nice pasta dish for you."

"Oooooh!" Sonic licked his lips.

Outside the window, a small figure was clinging to the wall. It was a Chao with scaly greenish-tinged fur and intensely yellow eyes. He had a fairly long tail and was wearing a small toga/rag out of an old grey towel. "It's him, alright. He's the one that bound a soul to a doll. The **Blue Blur** himself!" The chao grinned and scuttled off into the night, smirking broadly and giggling to itself, it's figure vanishing into an alley a few moments later...

...

...

...

... "Hmmmmmm." A bunny with a thick tuft of orangish hair at the top of her creamy-furred head looked over a chessboard, her orange-tipped long ears hanging down as she adjusted the fine dress she wore. It was delicate-looking, shades of pink and maroon with a red tie, and she had a refined maroon pair of high-heel shoes on her feet. She looked up from her desk over at Shadow. "So, you'll be transferring directly to Central next week, will you?" Vanilla the Rabbit inquired.

"Yes, sir."

"I'm going to miss you. You are quite the card."

"Ah, not as much as you when you were younger, General Vanilla."

"You worked as hard as you could and allowed me to feel at ease. Thank you for that." Vanilla said, moving one bishop.

"And thanks to the work you allowed me to take on, I feel I learned many things. I've become quite insightful thanks to you." Shadow said as he positioned his rook in a new place on the board. "Check."

"Ahh, you win! Took you 3 years, but I'm not complaining." Vanilla said sweetly, holding up a small black notebook. "And I've got a parting gift for you." She added.

"Oh?"

SOON...

"Master Sergeant Bomb." Shadow announced, as the robot saluted. "Warrant Officers Vector and 2nd Lieutenant Heavy." The crocodile and the robot saluted along with Bomb. "2nd Lieutenant Ray!" The flying squirrel also snapped to attention. "1st Lieutenant Rouge! You are all transferring along with me to Central. I am not taking "no" for an answer either!"

"One problem sir...I've got this new girlfriend here in town." Ray spoke up nervously.

"Break up with her." Shadow said swiftly.

"Oooooh, it's getting COLD in here, somebody better pay the bill!" Vector remarked as Ray began to bawl.

Heavy began to strum on his guitar as Shadow gave them all a glare. _**YOU'RE AS COLD AS ICE! **_He sang out.

...

...

...

... "I can't believe you're trying to run diagnostics on yourself." A small, monkey-like robot frowned, it's red ears flopping down as he adjusted the cowboy hat atop his head, a very large, glittering multicolored ring atr the front. "Let US handle it." Coconuts insisted, holding up a wrench and waving it in the air at Omega as the bulky robot sat alone in a tent.

Omega lowered his clawed hand, as wires shot back in from his palm, removing themselves from his internal processor, which was currently exposed on his front chest.

"I simply believe in being efficient." Omega told Coconuts.

"Don't give me that line. After all, I TAUGHT you it." A voice spoke up. Omega blinked in surprise as a black, almost imp-like robot entered the tent. He had golden eyes and a pale green rucksack currently slung over his shoulder, which he took off. He was wearing a small white tunic, and had a "V" insignia tattooed on his forehead, with "horns" sweeping up from either side of his head.

"Master Bokkun." Omega gasped as Bokkun sat across from him. "I thought you were..."

"I had been worried about you too." Bokkun admitted, smiling broadly. "But I've been hearing rumors. You big idiot, you've been going around and killing state metallurgists!" He frowned. "I can GET how you feel so pissed." He waved a finger in the air. "But going around and killing them isn't going to help things. It's not logical. It's not smart. Responding to violence with more violence? That's like trying to put out a fire by getting a BIGGER fire."

"I KNOW...it's not logical. Yet...I cannot find myself wanting to deviate from this path." Omega insisted.

"You're simply going to have to tolerate them." Bokkun went on. "And believe me, I KNOW that gets hard." He rolled his eyes. "But still-"

"Well looky here!"

Bokkun and Omega looked up to see two wolves were parting the tent curtain to reveal Omega to a person who was slightly hiding behind a stack of bricks. "See? The robot with that tattoo on his shoulder, the one called 'mega."

"OMEGA." Nack the Weasel spoke up, pointing upwards.

"You dirty, sleazy snake!" One robot snapped, stomping on Nack's foot and making him howl in pain as he jumped up and down, holding his new injury. "We took you in when you had nowhere else to go!"

"Shut iiiit!" Nack hissed. "I'm going to rise again..." He cackled madly, rubbing his hands together as he licked his lips. "And get my revenge upon Sonic the Hedgehog!"

Omega calmly stood up and walked out of the tent as Bokkun nervously looked away. The first of the two wolves Nack had hired reach for Omega's arm.

...yeah, he wasn't going to be a "lefty" anymore.

"GUAAAAHHHHRRRRRGGGHHH!" The wolf howled, holding the stump that had been his arm as Omega's claws now grabbed ahold of the other wolf's head.

"You're completely INSANE!" The remaining one snarled.

"Insanity's an organic trait. I'm...EFFECTIVE."

CRA-SCHLUCKA.

Nack saw the body drop to the ground as the other robots looked to the side, clearly disgusted. Immediately HE dropped to the ground and began to kowtow, beginning and sobbing. "Please, I was wrong! Lemme live! I'll follow ya everywhere and do everythin' for you!"

"You're really just...going?" Bokkun spoke up sadly. "...what would your brother think?" He called out.

"..." Omega clenched his fists. "I cannot turn back now." He said softly.

Nack blinked, watching Omega walk off, and then looked back at the OTHER robots, who were giving him a hateful glare. Bokkun held up a small radio and turned it on.

"**Daaaa-daaa-da-daaa...daaaa-daa-daaaa-daa-daaa-da-daaaa...**" He sang along with the funeral march.

"WAIT FOR MEEEE!" Nack screeched, deciding to take his chances with ONE furious robot instead of a horde of them.

...

...

...

...Tails was trying to clean up the area around Tikal's house, sweeping off the front path that led to the door as he wore a big apron that read "Priests...DON'T Do It". He was humming "Ode to Joy" and absentmindedly bouncing his head back and forth when a crumpled-up piece of paper suddenly got thrown right in front of him.

He blinked, looking down at it, then looking around. No sign of anyone. Suuuussspiiiiicioooouuuus!

He picked it up and unrolled it, looking at the message. Which was, of course... Suuuussspiiiiicioooouuuus!

...

...

...

...a chao with dark grey fur and thick locks sniffed the air, then narrowed his dark green eyes. He had fairly long ears and a tail to match, and looked over at his friends as they laid in wait in a bar given the title "The Golden Calf". "He's here, alright." The dark-grey chao insisted, nodding his furry little head.

"Good!" Another chao spoke up. She had purplish fur and bright yellow eyes, with a horn atop her head and a curled-up tail. She wore a belt around her waist and a tattoo underneath one eye as she stood by the chao that had been spying on the brothers some time ago. "I can see him coming now."

Tails headed down the big alley towards the entrance to the bar where the three creatures were. They looked a lot like chao, but...not like any HE'D ever seen before.

"We've been a-waiting for you, stranger." The grey-furred one told Tails.

"I know your secret. Meet me at the Golden Calf." Tails said, reciting from memory the note he'd been given. "Suuuussspiiiiicioooouuuus!" He sang out. "Granted, you asked me to come in broad daylight, so it's a little LESS so, but still..."

"You see buddy, we know a lot about you. Why don'tcha come with us?"

"...my parents told me never to go with strangers."

"...okay, how old are you?" The grey-furred one inquired, going up to Tails and poking him in the chest.

"Uh...14. My brother's 15."

"Then you're old enough to make decisions for yourself, right?"

Tails put a finger to his lip, thinking about this, then nodded. "You're right."

"Good for you! You're making an important re-evaluation of your lifestyle." The purple, female chao told him.

"And I'm deciding, for myself, I don't wanna go with you." Tails told them with a cheery grin.

**SFX: Waa-waa-waaa!**

"Oh, great. We have to do this the hard way." The grey-furred chao sighed as he jumped up into the air. Tails quickly ducked a sudden swipe of tiny claws and slammed his fist into the thing, only to have one tail slice outward...

The tail's end was razor sharp like steel. Tails felt his chest be impaled and ripped open as the purplish chao smirked and jumped at him. It slithered inside his chest like a spider going through a crack in a wall, and was soon snuggled up tightly inside of Tails, arms and legs gripping onto Tails's inner stringy workings. "You oughta feel lucky. Age 14 and already somebody's inside you!

"EEWWWW! Get outta of me! You can't control me like this!" Tails snapped, growling as he began fighting back for control over his body. Despite the purple chao tugging on thick bonds of string that held his arms and legs up, he felt he COULD be able to get away...it took everything she had to-

"I don't need to control you. Just distract you." The purple chao said.

"So I can do this." A very muscular-looking chao with a thick lock of black hair atop it's head and a square jaw remarked, slamming Tails into the ground. "This is what happens when you make things hard."

"What ARE you?" Tails managed to gasp out.

"They're chao of a SPECIAL variety...and they work...for me." A voice said. Tails looked up from the ground to see an albino human approaching. His golden jacket glinted in the sun as he smirked down at Tails with perfect pearly whites, his pink eyes glinting in a slightly threatening manner.

...

...

...

... "Well-well-WELL!" The human said, examining the currently-trapped form of Tails as he looked at the insides of Tails, the rings now fully off and showing all of the boy's body. "Oh, careful of the seal." He informed the purple chao, who was a bit cramped for space as she stayed within Tails's chest. "That's how this was done, right?"

"Who are you?"

"The name's Michael White...but hey, call me White." He patted Tails on the cheek and grinned. "Let's you and I be friends."

"Wait...Michael White? The SINGER?" Tails asked, blinking stupidly a few times.

"Yes, to the public I'm a successful and WILDLY popular singer." White said, stepping back and pointing a thumb at himself. "Never staying long in one town, always on the move. But this is my "home away from home"...I keep it hidden beneath the Golden Calf away from all the rest of the world. This is my "crib" of sorts."

"And these chao all work for you?" Tails wanted to know, looking around the gold-painted room he'd been lead down to. "There's no way they can genuinely be chao. Chao can't say anything but their name, they can't talk. It's not possible."

"Oh-no-no-nooo." White knelt down by Tails and patted him on the head. "If you have power...ANYTHING is possible. And Magic is power, eh?" He laughed. "All of them were once people. Toni, the one inside you, was created with a Jackson's chameleon." He gestured at the others, first the grey one, then the muscular one, then the one with the intense yellow eyes. "Mark over there was created from a fox and pees standing on one leg."

"I DO NOOOOOT!" Mark yelled angrily, his tail lashing on the ground.

"Andy, you were made from a...steer, right?"

The muscular one frowned darkly. "No, a bull, I still have my-"

"Good man, good man!" White eagerly nodded. "And Dodger here was created from your ordinary garden variety lizard."

"Just an ol' salamander, really. Nothin' special." Dodger informed Tails with a shrug.

"But who would have ever made a successful combination? Why wasn't it reported? We would have heard about it...unless..." Tails's eyes widened. "...the military?"

"I KNEW you were a smart boy!" White said happily, still crouching in front of Tails. "You see, there's an entire world underground, boy. Secrets buried deep...deep..." He leaned in, nice and close to Tails's face, whispering. "Deeeeeep."

"He's taken very good care of us, even though he's **Selfishness**." Dodger spoke up happily, smiling at White.

"Well that's not very nice to say about your benefactor." Tails commented. "...wait, don't you mean "Sel-FISH", not "Selfish-NESS"?"

"No, no. You see..." White knelt down and calmly closed one eye, making the other one widen as he sat in front of Tails. It was then that Tails saw...strings of ones and zeroes combining to make an iris. "I'm a "Golem"."

Tails's eyes went wide in shock. "Wh-WHAT?"

"Why are you surprised? You've heard of them, right?" White told him, his pink eyes glittering like precious gems. "Golems are artificially created beings. Creations of those who were very holy and close to God. The story goes that when a very holy person strives to approach God, in that pursuit they gain some of God's wisdom and power...one of these powers being the creation of life."

"You're lying! Who could have possibly created anything like that?" Tails insisted, feeling a sense of fear running through him. It couldn't be. This wasn't POSSIBLE. Magic could do many things, but this was a matter of creating a flesh and blood person...complete with heart and soul! This wasn't healing wounds or bringing people back that had existed before, this was something much more...

What ordinary man could DO that?

"...I guess you're from the "Show Me" state. You won't believe until you get some proof with your eyes." The albino human snapped his fingers. "Andy!"

Andy jumped into the air, swinging an enormous hammer. SCHUDDA-CHULK!

The top half of White's head vanished, leaving only his jaw. Tails screamed in horror, but then his scream died halfway when he saw the body calmly lowered itself to show Tails the INSIDE...

It was all churning, violent pink energy swirling around, intermixed with sparks of golden dust that trickled out the open neck. No blood...no organs...just that strange, maelstrom of pink energy moving around. The pink energy dribbled onto the floor before, right on the spot, the head began to reform, first forming a skull made of pinkness, then white eyes...teeth...muscles...flesh...

White stood there, now fully returned to normal. "Okay, I died once. And OWWW." He rubbed his neck. "I'm gonna feel THAT in the mornin'."

"...it...can't...be..." Tails murmured.

"Like I said." White told him, pointing downwards. "You have power...and **ANYTHING is possible**. Look at yourself, kid. You're a soul bonded to a doll. And a cute doll at that." He added with a warm smile. "Now...let's get down to business. How does it feel having a body that will never die at all? The idea behind sealing a soul onto something...if you did it right...you'd unlock immortality." White rubbed his chin, a dark glint in his eyes.

"Your body seems immortal enough." Tails muttered.

"Ahhh, but see, the thing is...Golems aren't exactly..." White tilted his head to the side. "Put together out of things like sugar, spice and everything nice, or snips, snails and puppy dog tails. Any being created by anyone who's not God would be but a shadow of one made by the Big Guy himself. And I'm...that shadow."

"What are you MADE of?" Tails wanted to know.

"Selfishness. Chaos energy needs a spark of life to change form into a sentient being, and when you stick an emotion into a chunk of chaos, it acts as a spark of life and...ta-daaaa!" He spread his arms wide. "Selfishness is my reason for being! I want things done MY way, ALL the time. Be it money, power, wealth, I don't care! I want what I want, **when** I want!" White told him, throwing his head back and laughing. "Eh-heh-ah-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-haaaa!"

"..." Tails nervously gulped.

"Now then...I've told you my secret. You tell me yours." White said, folding his arms and smiling in a fashion that wasn't exactly THREATENING, but it wasn't a NICE one either. "How are you even able to exist? How does the seal work?"

"It's no use. I don't have any memories from when I got this body. I'm not even the one that did the seal. My brother did."

"Oh? Really? How interesting..." White remarked, rubbing his chin. "Dodger...could you bring him here?" The albino human inquired of the lizard-esque chao.

"Ooh, you got it, sir!"

FIVE MINUTES LATER...

"He really got me, sir." Dodger moaned, nursing a black eye, a near-broken arm and a harsh bruise to his face as he staggered into the room, allowing Sonic entrance.

"You know, I don't MIND rescuing you from this sort of thing, but you need to promise me this won't become a habit." Sonic told his brother.

"It won't, I promise." Tails insisted. "Oh, and uh, this guy's a Golem."

"A WHAAAA?" Sonic's green eyes popped right open.

"Heeeey! I didn't go through the trouble of kidnapping you so you could go blabbing my secret ten seconds after somebody randomly pops in!" White muttered darkly, rolling his eyes.

"He might have some hints as to how to get our original bodies back." Tails added.

"If you're with those jerks from the Fifth Laboratory, you've got another thing coming." Sonic said firmly, frowning and clutching his hands into fists.

"Them? Oh, you mean **Flippancy, Ignorance** and **Racism**, right?" White remarked. "See, it's a long story, but to make it short, I can't do that. Still, how about a trade? I'm a nice guy. I'll teach you how to make a golem, you teach me how to seal a soul onto something? That's good and fair, right?" He commented. "See, I can be a gentleman when I want to." White told the hedgehog, placing his hand on his chest. "...though really..." He turned back to look at Tails. "WHY do you want to go back to your old form? That thing's great! Really handy, if you ask me!"

Sonic's fists clenched tightly.

"You don't get hungry, sleepy, tired...that's not a good thing?" White remarked, grinning broadly.

"Stop...talking..." Sonic's eyes glinted furiously.

_"Here's where Sonic snaps like a "Twix" bar."_ Tails thought to himself.

"BULLSHIIIIIT!" Sonic roared out, stomping on the ground suddenly and taking a step forward as everybody in the room looked at each other, then at White, then at Tails, then at Sonic, who was now clenching both fists before him, burning fire rising up from his body as his eyes glinted darkly. His voice had become a snarling, furious howling roar as he commenced what was one of the finest verbal castigations of a villain he'd ever done.

"Hoo boy." White remarked, sweat-dropping.

"You think that body's HANDY? You think it's GREAT? I can't sit here and listen to you go off like that when you don't even know what it's like to live like that!" He pointed at White, grinding his teeth, hissing with anger. "Teach YOU how to seal a soul to something! I wouldn't tell you how to tie your own shoes, you disgusting prick! I don't negotiate with terrorists! I don't give one inch to the bad guys! I wouldn't trust you with taking out the GARBAGE, letting alone the secret of the seal!"

The others kind of couldn't do much BUT listen, since the entire room seemed to be shaking from the full brunt of Sonic's sheer pissed-off-ness. They just stared, blinking stupidly at the enfuriated 'hog.

**"Villains...do not...get...DEALS!"** Sonic roared out, finally finishing his rant as the room ceased shaking and the fire faded from Sonic's body.

"...wow. Just..." White clapped slowly, shaking his head. "Look, I get what you're trying to do. It's noble and heroic, and all that other Russle Crowe 'Gladiator' crap."

"Oh, you saw it?" Tails asked.

"It was alright." White remarked, shrugging. "Okay, fine then. You guys take the doll away so we can take him apart later. I'll handle short and squishy here."

"SHORT AND SQUISHY!" Sonic rushed forward as the chao grabbed ahold of Tails and carried him out of the room through a back entrance. Sonic slammed his fist at White, who calmly held his hand up, catching the blow. The hedgehog blinked at the sight of...his skin. His right and left hand were now covered in inky blackness that had spread like some kind of disease.

"You can't beat me, baby blue. I've got REAL jazz hands." White informed Sonic with a sneer, kicking him in the chest and knocking him backwards. Sonic flipped through the air, narrowly landing back on his feet and rushing forward again, trading blows with the albino human, punching and kicking over and over.

"Come on baby blue, that the best you got?" White laughed coldly, jumping backwards and sticking out his tongue, pulling one eyelid down.

"Oh yeah? Try THIS!" Sonic roared out, his entire body momentarily sparking with golden light, and suddenly he was right in White's face.

SCHUDDA-SLAAAAM! He grabbed ahold of White and knocked his head clear into the floor below, making huge chunks fly up and crash into the wall. The blue hedgehog dusted himself off, stepping back, looking satisfied at the enormous crater he'd made. "Ha! Whaddya think of THAT? You might be a bit stronger than me, but you're not faster!"

White muttered under his breath and stood up, holding his head as blood that was not truly blood dribbled down from the sides of his head onto the black straps on his jacket's shoulders. "Ow, that HURT." He mumbled.

"Ow that hurt"?" Sonic remarked, frowning. "You're not normal at all, are you?"

"No, no, not quite. I've got advanced regenerative powers, standard for all Golems, but each of us were given random abilities." White told him, spitting out a tooth and frowning. "No two Golems are exactly the same thanks to the chaos energy that makes up our bodies. Thanks to my "Super" form, which I can activate at will, you can't hurt me." He informed Sonic proudly just before he suddenly rushed forward, slamming his foot hard into Sonic's gut.

"UUUGHHLUUUHHHH!" Sonic gasped out in pain, some vomit dribbling out his mouth as he held his sides and White looked him over with interest.

"I get you, really. You don't mind getting your OWN ass kicked, but when a family member takes a bullet, it gets personal. Really, it IS heroic. You're so stupid though. You really wanna lose both your brother AND a chance at figuring out how to get your own bodies back?"

Sonic took a few deep breaths before he stood back up. "Once I've kicked YOUR ass, I'll get Tails back. I'll just keep poundin' away at what part of you HASN'T turned black and strong 'n stuff."

White shrugged his shoulders in a "Well, y'knoooow" fashion. "Yeah, funny thing about that. See...the trick doesn't just apply to my hands and feet." He told Sonic calmly. "I didn't wanna bring this out at FIRST, but now it kinda sounds like fun, so..."

He gave Sonic a diabolical grin as the dark blackness on his fingertips spread. Now it was clearly cascading down his face, covering his entire form. He took off his jacket, showing off a sleeveless white t-shirt underneath, to more fully blackened form. His eyes became the color of glittering emeralds, and he calmly held up one hand. "Like I told you, baby blue..."

He clenched the hand into a fist. "You won't be able to lay a SCRATCH on me."


	13. A Glimpse of the Truth!

_The Chaos Emeralds. _

_It is a thing of immeasurable power. It grants joy to the suffering, victory to those on the verge of defeat, life to the dead...shining like a star in the hands of it's wielder, it possesses the power to turn one's thoughts into reality. It makes the impossible possible. Men honor it and worship what it can do. People believe it to be a gift from God._

_Yet what is required to make it..._

_Is the work of the Devil._

**Episode Twelve: **

**A Glimpse of the Truth!**

**真実で垣間見る！**

**

* * *

**

Pachacamac held a broom in his hands as he looked down intently upon it, frowning slightly with lips pursed. "I found it, like you asked. This thing was lying in the back alley off the road to the west." The elderly echidna informed his daughter.

"Poor Miles is gone...and now Olgilvie too? Ah, it's like they're little dibbuns all over again." Tikal sighed, shaking her head back and forth as she rested one hand on her hip, the other holding her head.

"There was something else there." Pachacamac added quietly. He pulled something out of his pocket and placed it in his daughter's hands. "Somebody dropped a box of matches from that bar called "The Golden Calf"."

"...well..." Tikal cracked her knuckles and then cracked her neck a bit, eyes furrowing. "Fine...so he's going THERE, eh..."

...

...

...

...Sonic had, by all rights, gotten his blue, furry ass beaten so badly it was not even funny. Both arms hung, low and limp as he slunk against the wall, his chest not moving, his breathing almost nonexistent. His eyes were clenched tightly shut, as if every cell within his body was howling in agony. Blood was dribbling down from the corner of his mouth, and he'd gotten a very harsh blow to the side of his head, which had splattered onto the wall and the floor.

"You dead, mon?" The being before him asked. One who's entire body was covered in frightening-looking darkness, it's eyes shining like a cat's. It tilted it's head to the side slightly, looking slightly annoyed, slightly confused, slightly amused and slightly interested all at once.

"Yeah...I'm dead." Sonic muttered sarcastically, managing to get back to his feet and clenching his fists, eyes glinting with burning red fire. "RAAAAHH!" He slammed his fist at this Pitch Black being, attempting an uppercut, only to feel the agonizing burn of knuckles practically shattering. He held his hand, gasping in pain, involuntary tears rising up.

"No matter how hard you try..." Black grabbed ahold of Sonic's face and tossed him hard at the wall. "You CAN'T beat me!" He snapped as Sonic slunk down to the ground, moaning in pain, legs twitching slightly.

"You're only making this harder for yourself." Black said softly, walking over to Sonic and kneeling down by him. "Why don'tcha just tell me what I want? I mean, this isn't even FUN anymore."

"...th...tha..."

"Eh?" Black leaned in more closely, eyes squinting. He held a hand up to his ear. "What was that? "Rosebud"?"

"Thanks...all this blood rushing to my head...is actually...making me think things over...I just remembered a little something that might help..."

"Help you spill the beans?" Black commented, raising an eyebrow.

Sonic smirked as he stood back up, panting slightly, wiping his mouth on the top of his hand. "Help me kick your ASS."

"There is NOTHING more cliché than last-minute heroics." Black said coldly, throwing a punch at Sonic that rushed towards his head.

THA-BLAM! Sonic caught the fist...and there was a sudden surge of burning hot energy that seared through Black's body. He staggered back, pinkish energy oozing down onto the ground from his wounded hand as he frowned, looking down to see that his hand was now longer covered in the blackness that had spread over his body. "...odd." He remarked as he flexed his fingers, making the darkness come right back onto his fist. "How strange."

He leapt forward with a kick at Sonic's head, twirling his leg only to have Sonic duck, then promptly slam both fists into his stomach. The same burning hot energy surged through Black, who howled in pain and staggered away. "What...what the hell have you done to my Super Form?" He demanded to know.

"It got simple when I just did some thinking about it. Your body's made of chaos energy. The opposite of Chaos? Order."

Sonic held his fist up and it glowed slightly with dazzling white sparks. He rushed forward and Black tried to dodge the oncoming fist, but he didn't count on Sonic's leg, which swept under him, knocking him over and allowing Sonic to slam his fist into the human's chest, making him howl in pain. Sonic stepped back, cracking his knuckles.

"Darkness has always had a tie to Chaos, just as Light has always had a tie to Order. All it takes is some simple Light Magic to knock you down."

"Heh...not bad." Black laughed, cartwheeling back to his feet, then leaping through the air, doing a sweeping kick at Sonic's head. Sonic managed to duck in time, then avoided a quick punch from Black, striking the human in the cheek and sending him spiraling away.

"And...you can't heal AND stay in your Super Form at the same time, can you?" Sonic panted, smirking a bit as more pink energy slowly fell to the floor with a DRIP...DRIP...DRIP.

"I'm...I'm actually more impressed with you than I was before. You aren't just some stupid kid running in here...you actually got real intelligence. But you're pretty weakened yourself." He told the kid. "How much longer can you keep this up?"

"..." Sonic bit his lip. As much as he didn't want to admit it, Douchey McNitpick was RIGHT. He was struggling to stay awake, and a dull, throbbing pain was building in his head. His legs and arms felt almost like they weren't even attached to him. How was he supposed to-

SCHA-THWOOOOOM!

The wall on the other side of the room came crashing down and Sonic "eeped" as he heard a very familiar voice call out. "Oh, pardon me!"

Stepping through the smoke she came...Tikal the Echidna, wearing a plain white "working" dress and headband wiped her head free of some sweat as she folded her arms. "

"Teach! You're here?" Sonic exclaimed.

"I'm very disappointed in you two. You couldn't even put that broom away before you ran off "adventuring"?" Tikal told him, shaking a finger in his direction.

""Sorry, teach."

"Well, well. Looks like you've been "taking care" of my pupil." Tikal said coldly, looking Black over. "...you're not even human. Not really. I can tell by your eyes."

"He's a Golem!" Sonic exclaimed. "A real flesh-and...well, flesh and chaos energy Golem!"

"Oya-oya." Black moaned, holding his head and rubbing it as he rolled his eyes. "You gotta be KIDDIN' me. You're like, what, 26? 28? I'm old enough to be your great grandpa." He folded his arms and shook his head. "And I really, REALLY don't like striking women, it's-"

Tikal was in his face. A moment later, her hand was GRABBING his face.

SCHOO-THWOOOOOMBAAAAHHH!

"GAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Black screamed as burning white fire surged over his face and the darkness peeled away, turning his cheeks and nose and eyes into horrifyingly-burnt pinkish stains. He gasped in pain and staggered back, hitting the wall and holding his face as Tikal shook her head.

"YOU'RE not going to be the one doing the striking." She informed him calmly with a big, cheery grin.

Black rubbed his face, his normal features slowly returning to normal. "Wow, you're really something else. What the hell ARE you, lady?"

"I'm just a simple retired priestess." She informed him calmly. "And I'll be your server for today. Today's special...YOUR ASS ON A PLATE." She added, holding her fists up, getting into a fighting stance.

...

...

...

...Shadow the Hedgehog made his way down the hallway of Central HQ, trying to ignore the increasingly aggravating whispers behind his back from the many military men he continued to pass by. This was rather...difficult. Especially considering his excellent hearing.

Then again, he had a sinking feeling that they WANTED him to hear it all. To be reminded of his "place".

"So that's Shadow, the "**Burning Metallurgist**", eh?"

"I wonder what strings he pulled to get this position, look how young he is!"

"With a rise this fast, there comes a fall just as quick."

"We're gonna make you squeal like a pig, boy. _Sooo-weeeee_!"

Shadow just smirked to himself and stepped through the doors to the autocrat's office himself. The walls were painted a fairly reddish/white with golden-rimmed paintings of various nice scenes that, when you looked at them up close, appeared to be made entirely of eggs. He decided to avoid comment on it and cleared his throat, getting the attention of a brown-haired secretary who adjusted her glasses and looked up at him.

"I'm here to see Dr. Eggman." Shadow informed the woman.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Colonel...Shadow, right?" The secretary asked, looking over a snazzy metal clipboard she had on her desk. "I'm afraid the good doctor's not in at today. He went to conduct an examination in Southern Central City."

"Oh?"

Meanwhile, Mark and Andy were running through a large sewer system, the walls reeking of the smell of rotten eggs and the remnants of grease that had mixed with bacon crumbs and week-old children's dinner leftovers. All of them floating in the disgusting, great green globs of greasy grimy gopher guts that was floating to their right, respectively.

Mark stiffened suddenly, sniffing the air. "I don't like the smell of this." Mark whispered. "I smell...military men. Close."

"Brings back memories, don't it?" Andy inquired.

"To think, I come in to do a simple inspection, and look at the surprise I find." Dr. Eggman informed Knuckles as he and about a dozen military guards stood outside the entrance to the "Golden Calf", Dr. Eggman lowering his goggles over his eyes and smirking broadly. "Move in." He ordered.

Elsewhere, White had placed his "Super Form" back on and was folding his arms, looking Sonic and Tikal over as they stood side by side in similar battle poses. He grinned broadly, laughing a bit. "A teenage hedgehog and a retired Echidna priestess, eh? Hollywood would have a FIELD day with that. You could make it into a sweet little Summer Romance. The "Feel Good" of the year." He brushed his hair back. "Naturally, I'd want to do the soundtrack."

"Naturally." Sonic commented.

"Seriously though, I don't feel like fighting you. I think I'll be going now." Black told them.

"Like we'd let you just go running off and-"

SPLA-SPLOOOORCH! Blood oozed out of Tikal's mouth again and Sonic let out a yell. "TEAAACH!" He screamed.

"...that'll work." Black commented, shrugging as he ran out the door, leaving Sonic to try and steady his practically-vomiting teacher.

"Running away...what a coward..." Tikal muttered as soldiers suddenly rushed into the room from another doorway.

"Behave yourself you annoying little...c'moooon!" Toni demanded, trying to force Tails's doll-esque body to keep moving. Tails's feet were trying to move forward, but he'd regained control of his arms and was digging into the side of the wall, holding on as best he could.

"Make...me!" Toni snapped.

"Hello, hello, what's this?" White said in a British accent, walking up to him as Toni stuck her head out of Tails's chest. "You alright, Toni?"

"I'm fine, sir." Toni said, ignoring the gasping, clearly-disturbed-that-a-woman's-head-was-sticking-out-of-him-Tails. "Where's everybody else?"

"Ah, things have gotten...more complicated than I thought." White admitted, shrugging slightly. "We're going to have to abandon this place and come up with a way out."

"Yeah, uh...I'm not letting you do that." Dr. Eggman remarked calmly, two metallic-looking gloves on his hands, his goggles lowered over his eyes.

"! Sir!" Tails gasped in awe.

"Well ain't THIS neat. The most powerful man in all the country lowering himself to sneaking through the sewers like a rat?" White commented, raising one eyebrow and putting one hand upon his hip as he smirked at the autocrat.

"You're one to talk." Dr. Eggman said in a good-natured manner. "How old are you, by the way?"

"...huh?" White blinked a few times.

"I'll be turning 60 in a month. My daughter says she's got a super secret plan for my birthday. I happen to know it's going to be something she made out of macaroni, but I'm going to act surprised all the same." The doctor went on with a cheery smile.

"...UH...YOUR POINT?"

"See, as you get older, you realize your body doesn't quite work the way you want it to. So I'd like to get this done, get home, and then go back and enjoy a nice book by the fireplace. Maybe something by William Luther Pierce." Dr. Eggman went on, advancing towards White and cracking his knuckles.

"You should retire, old man, go move to America and stay in Florida for the-" White began, holding up one hand as it began to be covered in the darkness.

SCHA-SCHWING!

The hand was cut off and went flying through the air. White looked stupidly down at it, then over at Eggman, who held up one glove, which was sparkling with burning, horrifyingly-sickening red light, like the color of rotten blood. The tips had become clearly not just hot-to-the-touch, but able to slice through flesh and bone like tissue paper.

"...OW." White remarked, quickly stepping backwards over and over as Eggman's fists shot forward, slicking and jabbing at the albino human, knicking his cheek, his forehead, even getting in a few good chest shots, making **Selfishness **gasp in pain.

Eggman's foot then caught him in the stomach and he went spiraling through the sewer, crashing into a wall with a cry. Eggman held his fists up, then rushed after him as the sound of another brawl echoed from far away.

"Ha-HAH!" Knuckles cried out, looking down the muscular chao Andy as he bobbed back and forth, fists held up as Andy nursed a very-badly-cut cheek. "You're pretty good. I am very impressed. For a chao, you have real skill. I thought you would be dead by now."

"I suppose I shall have to take things a bit more seriously." The chao commented quietly, clenching it's fists. He took in a deep breath, and then his muscles and body bulged more strongly, two thick horns emerging from his forehead as he smirked broadly. He then grabbed ahold of a surprised Knuckles and slammed him into the wall, driving him through it and forcing the echidna along.

Knuckles growled in pain as he was dragged through the wall, but he managed to get a good left jab onto the chao's face, knocking him away. He then followed up with a swift right hook, but the muscular Andy slammed his knee into Knuckles, then immediately slammed his left fist into the Echidna's face, just above his eye. Knuckles nursed that injured area, panting slightly as he and Andy faced each other down.

"You are indeed stronger than I thought you'd be. You've lasted quite long against me. For that, I respect you." Knuckles told the thing, pointing at it and giving it a small smile.

"You're not bad either. I guess I should expect as much from a fellow comrade of the Shanazaran Campaign."

"...you truly were once a sapient, huh?" Knuckles asked softly. "...look. Just give up."

"You'd ask me that even though your men are just about to kill me?" Andy inquired, looking somewhat amused.

"Huh?" Knuckles turned around to see several soldiers were pointing their guns at the chao.

"OPEN FIRE!" one roared out.

Knuckles's eyes went wide with horror as the chao shielded itself from what bullets it could, flesh being stripped away by semiautomatic fire when a terrible cry echoed through the hall.

"ANDY, NO!" Mark screamed, his body rushing forward, blood smattered on his tail as he rushed through freshly-killed soliders. He sliced through a nearby pipe in the wall and smoke filled the hallway as he quickly grabbed ahold of Andy and helped him run off, the other soliders coughing and gasping as Knuckles frowned deeply at what he'd just seen.

...

...

...

... "YOU SONOFA!" White roared, throwing a punch at Dr. Eggman, pink eyes alit with fury that had not been there before. It struck one goggle, but Eggman's punch knocked HIM back against the wall, and one burning hand held him there, making a horrifyingly effective electrical current go through him, shocking him over and over as pinkish energy dribbled out of White's nose and mouth like he was a leaky dam.

"I don't have any "Super Form" the way you do...nor do I have enchanted lovely locks the way **Flippancy** does. But do you know how I survived bullets on the battlefield? How I obtained the position I have today?" Dr. Eggman asked darkly.

"You're...a...you're not even REMOTELY human, are you?" White gasped out in horror.

Dr. Eggman's goggle, which HAD been cracked, suddenly re-healed itself before his eyes, and now he saw a GOOD look at the light shining from it...a string of zeroes and ones that circled around the iris.

"I have enchanted technology on my side. Goggles that see what choice I can make when confronting a situation, ones that allow me to see all outcomes of that I lay my eyes upon. I can see a million ways to take a man apart...and with my gloves...they center around finding the elemental weakness of any enemy I face. And with you, it's not that hard, is it? It's practically written on your face, or rather...your HANDS..." Dr. Eggman sneered, looking down at another cut-off-hand on the ground of the sewer floor. "You're afraid of the light."

"I'm gonna kill you all KINDS of dead!" White promised furiously, spitting some pink chaos energy into Eggman's face.

"Now then...I wonder...how many more times can you be killed before you die?" Dr. Eggman mused.

Elsewhere, Tails was leaning against the wall, folding his arms as Toni frowned, still buried deep inside him. "Ohhh, what's taking him so long?" She mumbled. "This isn't right. Can you see how the fight's going?" She asked Tails, who looked out into the darkness, squinting his eyes as best he could.

"...ahhhh...no." He admitted, shaking his head. "I can't see any-"

It was then that a very-injured-looking White came staggering out of the darkness, his lifeblood oozing down his chin and dribbling onto his shirt, his eyes sunken and hollow, his breath coming in ragged pants as he kept on trying to move forward.

"Mr. White, you're-" Tails began to say.

SCHLUCKA-SCHUMP! A chunk of head went soaring through the air and White gasped in agony as he fell to his knees, being kicked on his side by Eggman, who clenched and unclenched one fist, holding it up high. "I've been counting. So far, you've died...18 times. I wonder how many more it'll take?"

"Dirty old man..." White gasped out.

"Damn. This is interesting." Mark remarked as he and Andy jumped out of a nearby pipe, standing and facing down Dr. Eggman as White, Tails and a still-fairly-hidden Toni looked at them in surprise, Dr. Eggman blinking a few times.

"You can go and run, little rabbit." Andy laughed at the fox, nodding firmly.

"We're counting on you...okay?" Mark said softly, quietly so Eggman couldn't hear.

"...okay. I'll go." Tails said as Toni tried to hold back her tears, the two Chao rushing forward at Dr. Eggman.

"Lemme out!" Toni screamed in fury, trying to crawl back out of Tails's ripped-open furry chest. "Let me OUT, damn you!"

"No, I can't! They need me to keep you safe!"

"He'll KILL them! Let me out!" She wailed.

"No!"

"Lemme..." She banged her fists around, but it was like punching a pillow. He wouldn't let her out. He just kept her firmly in him, holding his hands over his chest with all his strength to keep her from climbing out. It didn't help that her own body was so small and weak. "Out..."

"No."

"Please..." She sobbed, hearing the horrifying SCHLA-THUMP sounds of her friend's bodies hitting the ground. "_Please_..."

"..._no_..." Tails whispered, biting his lip and wishing he could cry with her.

White staggered to his feet, looking at the sight of the practically-ripped-apart Mark and Andy, who's pulverized bodies lay on the ground, their lifeblood draining out into the sewer as Eggman looked the albino human over. The human clenched his fists furiously and growled with a fury that had no equal among humans.

"...what...do you think...you're doing to my people?"

"Becoming ATTACHED to your pawns? I'm touched, really." Eggman commented, placing one hand on his chest with a mocking flourish.

"I didn't...want them DEAD...I wanted them around...there were so many more things they could have done for me!" White hissed furiously. "They were MINE, and you took them from me! And you know...I don't **like** people taking things from me!"

"You're such a fool." Eggman sneered, rushing forward at the human, his gloves held high as Black's fists and legs became covered in the dark "Super" form. Black slammed his fists forward in an attempt to get at Eggman, but Eggman's long and thin legs tripped him and with a harsh and powerful punch he knocked Black unconscious in the sewer water, dusting himself off. "You stay there for a while. I'll be right back."

He headed off to go back towards Tails, who had come up with the idea of trying to run. He saw the autocrat approach, and blinked in surprise.

"Ah, "Miles", am I right? Or rather, Tails? That's what everyone calls you. Sonic's brother, am I correct?" Dr. Eggman inquired. "Let me help you out of here."

"Oh, su-I mean, no, I'm all right." Tails immediately protested, holding his hands up. "I'm 14 years old after all, I can get home by myself."

Toni's fists clenched tightly. She thrust them both into Tails's arms.

In an instant the fuzzy paws of Tails were clenched around Dr. Eggman in a desperate, near-futile attempt to strangle the autocrat. "Ah! Toni, stop!" Tails gasped.

"You disgusting, slimy little toad!" Toni screeched from inside of Tails in a wail of absolute fury. "I'll kill you! I'll kill you, you big, fat FUCK!"

Unfortunately, she'd forgotten he had hands. One of which rammed itself through Tails's chest...and her body. Blood splattered out, surging up like somebody had just taken a cannonball into a pool of the stuff...and as the precious lifeblood surged into his body which soaked up the blood, suddenly something happened.

The Chao had been created from a combination technique using chaos energy. They had been artificially created life...but they'd had that real spark. And now it was extinguished inside of another "artificial" being. Suddenly a reaction occurred. Tails's eyes glowed brightly, shining like brilliant diamonds and he gasped in pain as a seal suddenly appeared upon his forehead, one given to him from the begging of his brother, specially placed by Chaos himself.

_The Light. How could he have forgotten the Light? Light. Beautiful white light filled Miles's vision and he saw himself standing before an enormous door with beautiful, ornate designs on the front. There were dozens of languages written on the bottom that seemed to repeat the phrase "I am All, All are One". He blinked in surprise, scarcely able to believe this scene...nor that he was looking at a being that appeared to be made entirely out of water._

_It had deeply piercing green eyes and three sharp claws for "hands", with what appeared to be some kind of brain floating above it's eyes. It had a "horn" atop it's head and two small protrusions on either side. "...who are you?" Miles found himself whispering in fear._

_**"Ha-ha-ha-ha! Glad to hear you ask that up front, little dibbun."**__ It said, speaking not so much with a mouth as to with it's entire self. It was like a collective force was speaking as one, and the little fox could hear it in his head and in his heart. It wasn't a...THREATENING being. In fact, it actually seemed very gentle and compassionate, a kindness in it's green eyes radiating out. __**"I'm what is known to you as Chaos**__." It explained._

_Miles's eyes widened. "...Chaos?" He asked. "The force itself?"_

_**"I am more than that though." **__It went on simply. __**"I am also Order. I am the Universe. I am God. I am Truth, I am All, I am One. And..."**_

_It pointed at him with a single claw. __**"I am You."**_

_SCHA-THWOOOOOM. The door opened and Miles stiffened, turning around._

_**"Oh little one. You were foolish. You did not know your own place. And I am sorry for what you're about to go through, but this is necessary."**__ Chaos went on as enormous rings wrapped around the young fox's body, tying him up and tugging him into the black abyss that waited within the door as he screamed and screamed and-_

_Wait. Suddenly all the fear was gone. Suddenly he felt...happy. Not just content, but...joyful on a new level. He was surrounded by knowledge and incredible power and he could feel himself being pulled off into a beautifully radiant warmth...and he could vaguely see..._

"_Mommy...MOMMY! MOMMY!" Miles cried out, reaching out with one arm. "MOMM-"_

_But instead his hands grasped around...himself? _

_And then...what? Something was reaching out towards a young blue hedgehog in a sickeningly-stained room of-_

"MILES!" Sonic shook his brother and Tails gasped, finally "snapping" out of the "sleep" he'd been in. "...you okay, bro?" He asked.

Tails realized he'd been moved to a hallway and out of the sewer, looking around to see Knuckles, Sonic, Tikal and several military soldiers standing there and looking at him. "I...I'm fine." He insisted, looking back at his brother. "What happened to you? You're covered in...oh...oh no." He looked down at his chest and saw the blood trail that was left...and he turned to see a small, covered-up form of a chao. "...no."

"I'm sorry. We...took the liberty of removing her body from your...person." Knuckles nervously told Tails, looking the kid over.

"I couldn't save her..." Tails whispered, covering his face, wanting so very much to cry. "...Toni...Toni, forgive me..."

"It's gonna be okay." Sonic said gently, patting him on the shoulder. "Come on, let's get going home."

"Not so fast." Dr. Eggman approached, arms held behind his back as he looked Sonic and Miles over. "I know that a mastermind named Michael White brought you here." He said, looking over at Tails as the guards to his left and right readied their weapons. "I want to know if he told you anything. If he offered...any deals." He asked quietly. "...if you're working with forces that seek to undermine the military..."

"I wouldn't have done business with the man who kidnapped my brother." Sonic snapped.

"One more question then." Dr. Eggman asked. "Your brother's form...those rings on your arms and legs...it makes me wonder. Are they...connected? DIRECTLY?" He asked, his goggles flashing for a brief moment as he raised them up to his forehead.

Sonic blanched. He took in a harsh breath.

...and then Dr. Eggman laughed and turned away. "Ah, such an honest boy. Alright, let's all get going." He said calmly, heading down the hallway, leaving a very-confused Sonic, Tails and Knuckles. "Take good care of that brother of yours!" Eggman called to them as he walked alongside of Tikal.

"Thank you for protecting my students. I appreciate it." The retired priestess told him.

"It's my pleasure. And also part of my duty. I need to keep good track of my men. Would you also like protection?" He inquired, looking Tikal over.

"As a State Metallurgist?"

"Indeed."

"Heh-heh. I'm a frail old thing nowadays." Tikal laughed. "How badly in shape is this country that it needs somebody like me?"

"That WOUNDS me." Dr. Eggman remarked, smiling slightly. "Well, if you ever change your mind..." He handed her a small card from his jacket with his office number on it, nodding firmly. "Let me know." He walked off, leaving Tikal be, and she frowned deeply, brow furrowed. "I have to get back to my son and daughter."

Tikal scratched her head. "Wait, I heard you had a daughter, but a "son"?"

"Well..." Dr. Eggman grinned to himself. "He's been a bit of a secret for a while...but I think the time for secrets has passed." He turned back to smile mysteriously at her. "Wouldn't you agree?"

...

...

...

... "Did you get a good look?" Tails asked as Knuckles finished stitching his brother up. Sonic found himself grateful that the echidna who was so manly was so good at things so girly.

"Yes. His eyes were a string of ones and zeroes." Sonic informed Tails. "And all pink, too."

"Hmm." Knuckles put the last stitch into Tails, then rubbed his chin. "All pink, you say?"

"Yeah, you should tell Mighty. He'd probably want to know about this guy. Heck, maybe he even has some of his CD's!" Sonic then bit his lip and tilted his head to the side. "Or maybe you SHOULDN'T tell him. Don't wanna ruin his idol, after all."

"Yet these guys are definitely after the Chaos Emeralds..." Tails spoke quietly.

Knuckles stiffened. His purple eyes went wide with horror. He finally stood up and spoke very, very softly. "...don't do anything too stupid...alright?" He asked, walking away, nervously shaking his head as Sonic looked over at his brother.

"Something happened in the sewer. A reaction to Toni's death. I guess because we were, in a sense, from the same "family of creation"..." Tails bit his lip. "Or maybe Chaos himself wanted something to soften the blow of..."

"What happened?" Sonic wanted to know.

"I remembered my memories of when my body was carried to the other side. I saw The Truth. I saw CHAOS. The whole deal." Tails told his brother.

"What?" Sonic gasped. "What happened?"

"Well...I didn't find see anything about Life Magic..." Tails sighed. "It feels like all of this...coming here...it was useless."

"Naaaaah." Sonic said, waving his hand in the air. "We found that Golems are real, right?" He told Tails with a smile.

Tails then stiffened. I remember something that Eggman said before. He said there was unrest in the ranks, remember?"

"Yes, and that the Chaos Emeralds and the people with those strange eyes were involved...those "Golems". Wait..." Sonic suddenly "got" what Tails got. "If he was trying to find out the whole truth about what was going on with all of that, he wouldn't have ordered everybody at that place killed. This is something you want to take PRISONERS for, to get as much info as possible." Sonic said, eyes narrowing.

"And why would Dr. Eggman just HAPPEN to appear here of all places?" Tails added.

"Yeah...it's all a BIT too perfect..." Sonic murmured. "...I got a baaaad feeling about this."


	14. Nobles of the Kingdom of the Sun!

_The Chaos Emeralds. _

_It is a thing of immeasurable power. It grants joy to the suffering, victory to those on the verge of defeat, life to the dead...shining like a star in the hands of it's wielder, it possesses the power to turn one's thoughts into reality. It makes the impossible possible. Men honor it and worship what it can do. People believe it to be a gift from God._

_Yet what is required to make it..._

_Is the work of the Devil._

**Episode Thirteen:  
Nobles of the Kingdom of the Sun!**

**太陽の王国の貴族****!**

"Well, well, hello there little brother." Sonia remarked as she put one hand on her right hip, the other hanging low as she grinned a little. "How did your mission to the South go?"

"Well, it was exactly as we'd hoped. Miles "Tails" Prower and Tikal Nahuatl are good candidates for sacrifice." Dr. Eggman announced as he held his hands behind his back in the middle of a large palace.

There was a purplish, abyss-like floor beneath him, and tall golden pillars all around, with a central "throne" A dark ocean was beneath his feet in this place...a palace dedicated to a being that cared only for himself and his desires…a pitiless, horrible place that gave you the chills just being IN it. At the far end was an enormous, towering throne of gold and purple, with several circular orbs placed strategically on the thorny "tops" of the throne...five, actually. One red, one white, one green, one blue, and one yellow.

:"And there was something else that happened on the way there...look who I caught!" Dr. Eggman commented, pointing upward at somebody who was suspended in midair, tied hard to a heavy metal cross, spikes stuck into his wrists and through his knees. He had not only been impaled there, but there was a large red band of electrical energy swirling around him, acting like a giant magnet to keep him stuck to the cross.

"Well, I ain't seen YOU here for 100 years." Sonia commented, looking White over as he turned his head to look back at her. "How interesting that we catch you 100 years on the dot, eh **Selfishness**? I think you'd find this funny. You know, if you weren't too busy pissing your pants in fear over what'll happen to you."

"Your tongue is almost as sharp as how you dress, **Flippancy**." White commented, giving her a bit of a grin as she stepped forward from the pillar she was standing near. He then turned to his left and looked over the familiar face of the Biolizard, who scratched his head, looking White over.

"Oh! You! Uh...um..." Biolizard blinked stupidly. "...uh...you're...um..."

"Ah, **Ignorance**. You haven't gotten any smarter, have you buddy?" White snickered. He then noticed Metal was sitting nearby, rubbing two claws together to get some dust out of his joints. "Ah, **Racism**. Can't you try out a different color scheme? Haven't you heard? GOLD is the new black."

Metal "harrumphed" as White looked around. "Hey, where's ol' **Fanaticism**?"

"We ain't seen that hothead in a while. He's never around cuz he's always working." Sonia remarked as they all stood together underneath White but, considerately, in his view.

"You ain't changed one bit in 100 years, eh? So I wonder...who are you then? You're clearly not just Dr. Eggman of the Eggman Autocracy. What's the deal?" White wanted to know, looking Eggman over.

Eggman adjusted his goggles. "I'm **Cruelty.**"

"He's a new Golem. Our "Daddy Dearest" made him."

"A Golem that can age? Who knew?" White commented.

"What happened to Mr. "If You Have Power, Everything Is Possible"? Or are you going senile in your old age?" Metal sniggered.

"Aw, shut your trash can lid, uggo." White snapped.

"...what." Metal did not so much ASK as demand. "Did. You. Say."

"Oooh, NOW I get a rise from you." White said, pink eyes glittering darkly, looking into demonic red. "C'mon, I can take you with one hand tied behind my back. Unchain me and we'll SEE who's got the stronger ideology!"

"I'm going to rip you into so...many...chunks..." Metal Sonic hissed furiously, a foul, sickening dark undertone going through his body.

"Stop it. Both of you." A voice spoke up, distinguished and cultured. Everyone turned their head to look at the person sitting in the throne. "I don't want any ugly brotherly quarrels before me. It's...unappealing."

"Well, well. I ain't seen you in YEARS, daddy-o. Boy, the years have not been KIND, have they?" White laughed a little.

His father frowned, closing the book he was reading and sighed, shaking his head. "Why must you insist upon being a "problem child"?" He wanted to know.

"Why? You ask me WHY? You of all people would know. I'm selfish, remember?" White rolled his eyes. "That's the Spark of Real Emotion you ripped out and give this hunk of chaos energy protoplasm true life! If I'd stayed with you, I would have never been happy!"

"So you won't work for me again?" His "father" inquired, placing his pointed nails together and tilting his head to the side slightly.

"Let me say it slowly so you don't misunderstand. NOOOOOOOOOooooooooooo_oooooooooo_." White commented.

"Oy, you're steppin' into MY turf, bright eyes." Flippancy snapped.

"...well, well. This IS a shame." Their creator shrugged. He clapped his hands, and everybody moved away from an enormous circular pit that was rising up from the floor, directly underneath White.

There was a foul, diseased smell rising up from the pit, choking and almost GAGGING the albino. "Well, this is cheesy, what OTHER Bond Villains have you been ripping off? Gonna paint me all gold? Stick me in a vat of sharks? Shoot me with the Golden Gu-"

There was a sickening hissing sound as dozens of snakes slithered around at the bottom of the pit, looking up intently at their new meal as White sneered at the others. "You think I'm gonna break down and cry cuz of some slimy snakes? Do you expect me to beg?"

"No, Mr. White, I expect you to DIE." Their father quipped.

"Heh-heh-heh! Couldn't resist one last one-liner, could you?" White laughed as the snakes began to crawl up his body, helping to pull him in deeper...deeper...it was becoming so HOT...they were wrapping around him like a thousand harsh ropes...

"Time to go back to where you were once belonged."

"Well don't go blaming ME if you get diarrhea, heh-AH-HAH-HAH-HAH-"

The laughing was quickly silenced. A few moments later, pinkish energy dribbled out of a small, tiny drain and flowed down the floor towards a grate. It slithered into the grate, then a pipe beneath made it run up the wall and into a nearby "shower" that bathed over their father as he held his hands up, brushing off his clothes and calmly taking a relaxing moment to himself. His sons and daughter stood there, simply watching as he finally finished and licked a bit of the chaotic lifeblood off of him. "Well...it's time to get back to work." He told them all. "That day is coming. You'd best all be prepared..."

...

...

...

... "Heyyyyy!"

Dr. Eggman turned around to see two people rushing up towards him, and he was happily hugged by a young little rabbit and a cutesy chao with a pink bow tie. The rabbit, who had brown-tipped ears, chestnut brown eyes with a vermillion dress and a cute little cobalt blue dual-flap tie on her chest. "Daddy, you came back early!"

"It's good to see you again, my big man, and you too, honey." He told the little chao and the rabbit. He gently patted the little bunny on the head, picking her up and twirling her around. "Oh, what a GREAT day I've had!" He informed her.

*Be careful, you're not as young as you used to be!* The Chao "said", it's little bow tie lighting up as it's thoughts were vocalized. *You sure you don't just wanna retire? Maybe we could move to Switzerland. I've heard it's nice.*

"Heyyyy!" Dr. Eggman remarked. "I'm not ready to be mothballed yet! By the way, you'll both never guess who I ran into down there...the **Blue Blur** himself?"

*Ooh, you ran into Short, Fast and Squishy himself?* The chao squeaked happily, flying around on it's little wings, clapping it's "hands" together as Cream beamed.

"I can never get tired of hearing about all the amazing things Sonic's done." Cream admitted, nodding up at her father.

*He IS the youngest State Metallurgist, and he's so cool! I wish I could learn Metallurgy too...* Cheese said wistfully.

...

...

...

... "Oh! You're back!" Nack remarked nervously as Omega entered the small little hut they were shacked up in. "Uh, somebody...er...found us."

Omega blinked a few times. "...somebody? Who's this "somebody"?"

"G'day, Mate!" A girly voice spoke up.

Omega turned his head to look at the raccoon that had a blend of orange and brown fur. She wore a green and white tube top with black, skin-tight shorts and green and orange shoes, with bright blue eyes and a pair of rings attached to her ponytails. She bowed deeply, then grinned and held out one hand. "Name's Marine! Nice ta meetcha!" She said as a small, grayish bear-like thing with slightly tufted ears and stubby black eyes lay on top of her shoulder, so small it could have fit in her palm.

"Your boss saved my skin when I went and crashed on the side 'a dah road. I was sooo tuckered out, y'know?" Marine went on.

"...well...if you've recovered, you should be on your way." Omega commented. He then growled and held his leg. "Gah."

"I take it the mission didn't go off without a hitch?" Nack wanted to know.

"There was ONE hitch in bringing Whiskers down, I admit." Omega said firmly as some oil leaked out onto the ground.

"Oooh. That ain't good. Here, lemme fix ya up." Marine said, quickly taking out a small piece of paper from her pants and quickly taking off her glove. She bit into her thumb and some blood oozed out, and on the spot she wrote some strange letters onto the paper, which she stuck onto the leg wound Omega had as he and Nack looked on in surprise. She then clapped onto the page, closed her eyes...

SCHUDDA-THWOOOOMBAAAAHH!

Brilliant greenish/blue light shone and the wound healed up before their eyes. Omega gasped. Nack gaped. "Wh-WHAAAT?"

"It's Yakin Shīru, from Soleanna." Marine explained happily.

"Soleanna?"

"Yeah, apparently this girl crossed the enormous desert to the East just to come here. How silly!"

"It wasn't all by myself, mate!" Marine said, putting her hands on her hips and gesturing with one thumb at Omega. "It was me and him!"

The koala gave Omega a look with it's eyes. He immediately felt the urge to reach out and pet it, and his arm was outstretched before he knew it. He was inches away when he suddenly actually THOUGHT about what he was doing. "...what am I DOING?" He mumbled.

"Hmm? Oh, you like Tabby, do ya, he's-ohhhh." Marine noticed the robot's chest. "I can SENSE it." She carefully reached up and tapped the chest, and it quickly opened up, revealing a circular, glowing life ring with strange symbols circling around it. Or rather, HALF a life ring. The other half looked slightly...beaten. Charred. As if somebody had-

"Yes, that's it. The art of reading the rhythm of the Earth. You definitely have some experience with it." The young raccoon commented, looking the core over.

"...my brother...he researched Yakin Shīru and Metallurgy. This core...is the result of that research." Omega explained.

"Wow, your brother's pretty dang smart!"

"Well, whatever. Your wound's healed, so we can head to Central City, right?" Nack inquired.

"Ooh, Central City? Alright, let's get a 'movin, mates!" Marine said, holding up a small knapsack in the air. "I got me rucksack and tucker bag all ready!"

"Hey, girl, this ain't kids stuff!" Nack told her, poking her in the head.

"I'm SERIOUS." She snapped.

"You can't really mean you BELIEVE that delusional stuff about immortality, can you?" Nack wanted to know. "You've gotta be the dumbest broad I ever-"

The koala promptly jumped up on his face.

"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Nack ran for it, screaming, running around and around in a circle as Marine rubbed her chin, thinking to herself.

_Immortality can't be reached through OUR ways. But maybe...by using metallurgy...I MUST find that man I've heard so much about...the blue-furred wonder...green eyes like emeralds...gallant and brave...Sonic the Hedgehog! _Marine thought to herself, eyes going all starry as little roses floated by her in the air for some strange, strange reason.

"...how does she get those roses to float by her?"

"...I've decided I neither know why, nor do I think I care. Let her come." Omega decided.

...

...

...

...the streets were pale and empty, and barely lit as Rouge slowly made her way down the alley, holding onto some groceries with one hand, the other texting a cell phone message to Shadow. She hit the "Send" button just as something caught her attention...the smell of dried blood. And close.

"...okay, come out." She muttered, turning around and putting the cell phone away in her pocket as she noticed the being that was standing in the crook of the alley far behind her, who had been waiting for his chance.

"You know...it ain't smart for you to be walkin' alone. Us girls gotta stick together." A vaguely metallic, high-pitched voice sniggered as an orangish robot stepped out, blue eyes glittering. "If you're not careful, you'll get shot up by SCYLLA!" Scylla cackled, rushing forward.

Rouge quickly drew out a small submachine gun she hid in her pants. BUDDA-BUDDA-BUDDA-BUDDA!

"GAAAAH! Whatcha doin' THAT for!" Scylla groaned, dancing around in the alleyway, the bullets pinging off her body. "That frickin' STINGS!"

"That's the POINT. I heard about you, you know. From Tails. He talked about the not totally "robotic" guardians of the Fifth Laboratory."

"Ohhh, HIM? You mean Fox-Boy? You're a friend of his?" Scylla remarked eagerly. She then sighed wistfully and Rouge blinked. "Wow. You know...you're HOT."

"..._eh_?" Rouge raised an imaginary eyebrow and sweat-dropped.

SOME TIME LATER...

Charbydis was tied up as Shadow, Rouge and Vector stood together in an "abandoned" warehouse, a single light between them and the incapacitated, very insane robot. "So...it seems there's a good possibility that the military's senior staff has been working on creating Chaos Emeralds. And there are those two freaks that Sonic talked about...are they the ones that turned you into this?"

"No, it was really my own doing." Scylla explained. "Charybdis and I were on this quest for self-fulfillment and we didn't think too hard about the consequences. You know, having your soul ripped out is VERY painful."

"If we could find the other researchers at that place, that would be really helpful." Vector brainstormed, rubbing his large chin.

"Yeah, that's a dead end. THEY'RE all dead, got turned into Chaos Emeralds themselves!"

"Hmm. Hushing them up AND using them as ingredients. Well at least we know they're a FRUGAL bunch." Shadow muttered balefully as he wrote it all down on a notepad. "...one more thing. Did you recently kill a military officer who had just been finished with making a call at a phonebooth near a library?" He asked softly, dangerously.

"Unless his face looked like guacamole, it weren't me." Scylla told him. "Which is a darn shame, because that means somebody stole MY kill."

Shadow was quiet for a few moments, and then he let out a sigh. "Nevermind..."

...

...

...

... "You are SO lucky that the Bible says "THOU SHALT NOT MURDER"." Amy muttered as she walked alongside Sonic Westside City with Tails meekly following behind. "And if I wasn't worried about being stuck in the 9th Circle of Hell with the rest of the traitors, I'd make it EXTRA PAINFUL!" She'd had to patch Sonic up all over again since he was incredibly beaten up from his latest fight.

"Which we're eternally grateful for." Sonic gulped.

"By the way, any progress on the "finding a way to get your old forms back"?"

"Bit by bit we're making progress." Sonic insisted as he sipped a nice glass of "Orange Crush", the three of them making their way down Main Street. He suddenly noticed Amy was going into a shop. "Where you going?"

"I have to shop for vitamins. You go kill some time."

"Wait! This place has...nothing but...mystic stores...UGGGGGH." He moaned and hung his head, shaking it as people bustled by him and Tails...

Wait. Where was TAILS? He looked up to see Tails was kneeling down by an alley. "Oh. Hey, did you find a cat or something?"

"...or something, yes." Tails admitted, picking up a limp form.

"SNAAAAAAAKE!" Sonic screeched, jumping back a few feet. The person Tails was lifting was a snake sapient, a serpent anthro. He had had green, scaly skin and a smooth underbelly, and three clawed fingers on each hand. He wore a pristine white robe-like jacket with shamanic pants and a necklace to match. He had on sandals, and his tail was hanging limp, along with the rest of him. The snake also had blue hair that flowed down slightly past his neck in thick locks, thought it spiked up at the top like a Mohawk. And, most interestingly of all, he was carrying a scimitar on his back.

"Sonic, he's really, really out-of-it. He looks starved to death." Tails said.

"...I know I'm gonna regret this." Sonic sighed deeply. "I HATE snakes."

SOME TIME LATER...

"Ohhhh." The snake held up it's hand to it's mouth and suppressed a small belch. "Thank you so much! You really saved my life!" He told them. He had a slightly sibilant voice that was soft, and rather kindly in tone. "I thank you from the bottom of my heart. I'm so glad to have found such kindness in this foreign land!" He said as he and the two brothers sat in an outside diner at a table that HAD been loaded with food.

"Wait...foreign? Where are you from?" Sonic wanted to know.

"From Soleanna, oh blue, fat and fuzzy one."

"Don't call me fa-WHAAAA?" Sonic's eyes widened. "Ya mean that big 'ol kingdom to the East? Across hundreds of miles of desert?" Sonic wanted to know.

"Oh yes." The snake told them, nodding firmly. "Crossing the desert was quite tough. I probably would have gotten here sooner, but I wanted to make a stop at the ruins of Babylon, home of the famous gardens."

"Babylon? I thought there was nothing there. Why would you check that place out anyhow?"

"Well, to see if there was anything related to what I came HERE to examine. Yakin Shīru. I believe in your country it's called...ah...Metallurgy, correct?" The snake went on, holding up a small tea cup and pulling out a tiny white bag from his robe pocket, emptying the contents into it and adding some hot water. "Green Tea?" He asked, holding the cup out to Sonic.

Sonic nervously accepted it and sipped it. "...MMMMM!" He remarked, eyes widening. "This is amazing!"

"I make it myself." The snake said sheepishly. "I'm glad you enjoy it!"

"I'll have to put THAT on the list." Tails thought as Sonic put the cup down.

"Wait. You're visiting our country just to find out more about Metallurgy?"

"You see, in our country, the art is called Yakin Shīru, and it's primarily related to the field of Medicine. Much of it centers around being able to repair the most terrible of wounds."

"Different strokes for different folks, I suppose." Sonic said, sipping the green tea. "Here, it has a lot of military uses. There are unending skirmishes at the Eastern Border, at the country of Maginary, and to the South at the Jungle Kingdom."

"And of course we can't forget Nocturne to the North." Tails added. "It's huge and icy and cold. We've got a nonaggression treaty with them at the moment, mostly because the fabled Ice Cap Mountains keep them from attacking us."

"What a restless country." The snake remarked, an invisible eyebrow raised.

"Things started getting more militaristic when Dr. Ivo Robotnik, who became Dr. Eggman of the Eggman Autocracy, took power." Sonic admitted.

"Hmm. I'm interested in this Yakin Shīru." Tails told the snake.

"Yes, it does sound really useful. We should learn more about it. We're always looking for new techniques." Sonic added.

"You're...metallurgists, then?" The serpent wanted to know, leaning back in his chair.

"Yes, I'm Sonic the Hedgehog, State Metallurgist! This is my brother, Miles, but everyone calls him Tails." Sonic said, as Tails shook hands with the serpent sapient.

"I'm King. It's a pleasure to meet you!" the snake told them all.

"So could you teach us about Yakin Shīru?"

"Ah, fraid not. I've got no experience in it." King admitted sheepishly.

Sonic and Tails sweat-dropped, their heads hanging low. "...if you don't...practice it...WHY are you here?"

"I'm looking for something. You might know of it..." King leaned back calmly in his chair and took out some more tea mix, making another cup for himself. He sipped it lightly before going on.** "The Chaos Emeralds?"**

Sonic and Tails drew in a harsh breath, their eyes staring into King's glittering golden/yellow ones. "...would you happen to know anything about it?" King asked quietly, almost dangerously.

"...no. We don't." Sonic said, looking away.

"...I think you DO." King commented calmly, letting out a whistle.

THWOOSH!

"GAH!" Tails and Sonic gasped as suddenly two people stuck sharp swords at their throats. Both of these people had pearly white armored outfits with a golden bell insignia stationed in front of a beautiful sun on their chests, and they appeared to know how to use those swords WELL. There were belts loaded with various items around each of their waists, including one around King's as well.

"Now, would you be so kind as to just tell me about it?" King asked gently.

"Why do you want the Chaos Emeralds?"

"Simple." King said, holding his arms up. "Immortality."

"...immortality? What a crock." Sonic muttered.

"You know, just because I don't have "ears" doesn't mean I didn't hear that." King said calmly. "I'm being quite serious."

"THIS is the attitude you use to ask people for things? I don't think so." Sonic commented. He quickly slammed his fist towards the person pointing the sword at him, but that person leapt up through the air, spiraling up, then coming back down.

KA-CRACK! A good kick sent Sonic flying and Tails quickly ducked, kicking out and knocking the other person back, flying over to Sonic and helping him off the ground. "Daaaaang...they're strong. They must practice martial arts." Sonic told Tails as his brother lifted him up. "...but they're no Tikal, I tell you." He remarked.

"Let's get to it, then!" Tails said, and the two of them ran off in opposite directions.

Sonic raced off through the city, jumping on the top of a long set of telephone wires that were running side by side. He skated along the top of them, jumping through the air, punching and kicking at the cloaked person who swerved and swayed, effortlessly dodging all of his attacks.

"Dang, you're annoying!" Sonic announced as he jumped again, aiming another kick at the white-masked being. He couldn't see anything but her eyes, the mouth and nose region were covered up with cloth, and even the EYES were hard to see unless up close. "What are you and that stupid dust-crawling idiot up to?"

The being's eyes went wide and she suddenly jumped at HIM...and he jumped off.

THA-THWONK! She fell off and landed in a garbage bin, and Sonic leapt down after her, grinning as he stood outside the alley she'd landed in. "Ha! I actually-"

THAM! She jumped out and kicked him across the alley. He hit the wall, rubbing his nose, but an idea hit him. The minute he'd insulted that snake...

Ideaaaaaa!

Elsewhere, Tails was running for his life from the elderly-looking masked man, trying to save his flying for when he would head back to Sonic. The cloaked man frowned as he chased after Tails, eyes narrowing. "This is very odd. I don't sense any "Flow" from within him. That's just plain damn weird."

"Dang it, I've got to think of something fast!" Tails commented. He then noticed somebody was running alongside him. "Huh?"

"Just making my obligatory cameo!" Christopher Thorndyke remarked, holding something up for Tails to look at. "Lemme help you out."

His hands reached up and turned the wind-up key at the top of the black, orb-like thing in the palm of his hand, and the elder man running after Tails frowned. "What do you think you're doing, bringing other people into..."

He then noticed that the red-haired child had dropped something and it was...walking towards him? He blinked, stopping in place as people shrieked and ran.

"AAAH! It's a Bob-omb!"

"He's got a Bob-omb!"

"It's a Bob-omb!"

"...Bob-omb." The elder man remarked as it went up to him.

"C'mon, you're gonna have to do better than that! If this is the best his flunkies can manage, that King guy must not be hot stuff!" Sonic laughed as he dodged a flurry of strikes from the masked person he was facing.

The eyes narrowed and the being leapt up to try and kick his head, and Sonic grinned. The minute this person's master got put down, they lost their cool. And then it became EASY to read them. "I've gotcha NOW!" Sonic roared out, ducking and suddenly jumping upward, grabbing ahold of the cloth region that covered most of the being's face. "Time to get a look at your face!"

He ripped it off...

And suddenly he was not facing a fighting phantom, but a very pretty, red-haired human girl with soft skin. She had vibrant blue eyes, as blue as his own fur, and he stood stock still in shock. "You're a GIRL?" He exclaimed.

Unfortunately, though HE might have been distracted by that fact, she was not...and had just pulled out what was unmistakably some kind of grenade that looked sort of like-

"AAAH! It's a Bob-omb!"

"She's got a Bob-omb!"

"It's a Bob-omb!"

"...Bob-omb." Sonic remarked as it was thrown at him.

**BOB-OOOOOOOOOOMB!**

Two explosions rippled through the air and the townsfolk all gasped and coughed and spluttered as smoke billowed everywhere. One side, the smoke cleared to reveal Tails had managed to knock the other man off guard and was now tying him up. He was an elderly human man with a silver beard and a slightly large nose, who couldn't believe he'd been so easily tricked.

"I can't BELIEVE I've been so easily tricked." He muttered.

Elsewhere, the girl sighed as she saw the figure of a single arm trapped underneath a ton of rubble. "Oh dear. I overdid it. I'm sorry, are you alright?" She asked, carefully approaching the arm as the smoke began to clear away...

Revealing that, in fact, it was nothing more than a glove on a very arm-like stick. The girl blinked. "...what the-"

THWOOSH! A net suddenly wrapped around her, tying her up as Sonic popped up from a hidden alcove behind her and he grinned. "Heh, not bad, huh? I used to catch rabbits as a lil' dibbun all the time, so I know a thing or two about traps." He told the girl as Tails brought the elder human over to him.

"Not bad! I got one too." Tails told his brother, putting the older man down on the ground nearby the enormous, wrecked factory that Sonic had been fighting by.

"Hey, not a bad job at all!" King announced, waving his hand in the air, cheerfully standing nearby.

"You're awfully chipper about your "girlfriend" here almost blowing up half the town to get to me!" Sonic yelled.

"And yet here you stand before me! You're really very skilled!" King admitted, clapping his hands and smiling happily. "Why don't you work for me and we'll rule the country together?"

"Stop talkin' nonsense!" Sonic snapped, getting in his face. "Go crawling back-"

"HEY!"

Sonic and the others turned their heads to see a large assembly of townsfolk were there, looking VERY angry. "You sure did a number on your factory! It was the ONLY business in town that has NOTHING to do with the Arts!"

"Now how are we going to produce the materials we need for our ceremonies?" Another snapped.

"Your bomb-omb ruptured our water pipes too!" Another added, pointing at Tails.

"And you ain't paid your café bill, man!" Another person spoke up.

"Hey, don't blame US! Blame this foreigner and his trigger-happy cronies!" Sonic said, pointing at King.

The serpent anthro held his hands up. _"No hablo ingles! Adios amigo!"_ And with that, he immediately hopped backwards into an open sewer grating and was gone.

"GAAAAAH! Get back here, you CHEAT!" Sonic yelled out, shaking his fists in the air.

"Ah, the other ones got away too." Tails moaned. "...damn, they're GOOD."

"Oh MAAAN." Sonic moaned. "Major uncool."

"It's okay, I'll clean it up." Tails said. "Since I got my memories back, my magic skill's really increased."

Sonic thought this over. "...so..he can fly...he's a better fighter than me...AND now he's pretty much gaining as much magical skill as I...OHHHH." He held his head. "At this rate, I'm not gonna have ANY advantages."

...

...

...

... "Ammmy! We're baaaack!" Sonic called out as he and Tails entered Amy's shop to see...

"Hello! We meet again!" King announced, holding his hand up, the other hand raising a cup of tea to his lips.

Sonic promptly beaned him over the head with a shoe from off his feet and Tails plugged his nose as Sonic walked over, picking the shoe up as King picked HIMSELF up. "Don't just sit there, drinkin' tea!" Sonic exclaimed.

"How cruel! And to think, we're friends!"

"Who you calling "friends"? You gave us one REAL HARD TIME." Sonic hissed, getting in King's face.

"Oh, relax, please. I'll give those two a stern talking-to later." King promised. "And, by the way, she's NOT my girlfriend."

Sonic blinked. "I never said she was-"

"You were thinking it, I can tell." King said, sipping some tea. "The girl's name is Elise. The old man is her father, David. They're members of a family that's served Soleanna for generations."

"You must be really important to warrant having two people escort you here."

"Well you see, Soleanna happens to be ruled by the Metatron, voice of God, for Soleanna is a holy kingdom. And I am his son." King told them.

"Wait..." Sonic and Tails blinked in surprise. "So you're...a...PRINCE?"

"Yes, I suppose you could say that." King admitted. "In fact, all of our kind get blessed with royalty or leadership-related names."

"...HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!" The two brothers began laughing. "HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA! The guy we found passed out on the side of the road is a freeloading son of-"

"HEY!"

They were suddenly aware of creepy Latin chanting as Elise poked her head over the windowsill to glare at them intently.

_**Koyanisquanti...**_

_**Koyanisquanti...**_

"...we'll stop laughing." Tails squeaked out.

"...GOOD." Elise said, her head sinking back below the windowsill.

_**Koyanisquanti...**_

"Sorry about that. Usually she's VERY nice, but when it comes to me and my safety, she gets very...sensitive." King apologized.

"...so you're really a son of the Metatron?" Sonic asked.

"It's not that big a deal. You see, he gives that title to all the guardians that were chosen to look after the Bell of the Heavens, which allows him to rule justly and act as God's voice. He chose different women and gave them virgin births but I'm not the only one he did it to. You see..." He cleared his throat. "Soleanna is made up of 25 ruling families, with the Metatron at the top. He oversees all final decisions that concern ALL of Soleanna and the rest of the great kingdom is divided up amongst the families who deal with the...day to day things." He sipped some of his green tea.

"Okay...I get it." Sonic nodded his head.

"The problem is that the Metatron feels that it's time for a single ruler of all Soleanna. He foresees a time in the near future where it will need a powerful, wise and noble ruler to lord over the people and care for them. It is the duty of people to look after each other, to make the world as it ought to be by living in the way they SHOULD. And God feels he cannot keep doing that by holding our hand and having the Metatron reign over us. He seeks to pick an heir."

"That heir is going to have to have something really special going for them if they're going to rule over a Kingdom of God." Tails remarked. "...wait..." His eyes widened. "So THAT'S why..."

"You want to gain immortality. That would make you a "cut above the rest", alright." Sonic commented. "...too bad! We ain't telling you anything! The Chaos Emeralds are not tools for you to "shortcut" your way to first place you-"

"I'm baaaack!" Amy announced, walking into the room, holding up some groceries. "Hey, Mr. King, guess what? I packed enough for a three day trip!"

Sonic blinked and looked in her direction. "Huh?"

Tails scratched his head. "What's all this about?"

"I didn't tell you? King's coming with us to Central. I want to stop by Mighty's place. They were so nice to me before, I wanna check in with them again! And see how cute little Venus has gotten!"

"Ooh, I cannot wait to see what Central City is like!" King announced happily as Sonic sweat-dropped, knowing he wasn't gonna win this argument.

"So we're really just letting her come along?" Nack asked quietly as he drove the car he and Omega were riding in. Marine and her pet were sleeping soundly in the backseat of the truck, snoozing away.

"Yes. We are." Omega said simply as he folded his arms.

_This is a road I must take. And as I walk along it...I am prepared to leave behind all the gifts life has given me. Come...what...may._

**SEASON TWO ENDING CREDITS!  
**

**

* * *

**

(Sonic and Tails sit at the top of a hill, with Amy far behind them, watching their backs as the wind moves the clouds overhead. She sighs sadly.)

_**Let it all ooouuuut, let it all ooouuuut...**_

_**tsuyogaranakute ii nda ne...**_

_**dareka gaaaa...kaitettaaaa...**_

_**kabe no rakugaki no hana ga yureru!**_

(The remains of Sonic and Tails's house are shown as the two stand in front of it, their fists clenched, a single tear escaping down to the ground as a sweep is done to show King, Elise and David standing together, looking at the two brothers sympathetically)

**_Jibun rashisa nante daremo wakaranai yo..._**

**_Nagai nagai michi no tochuu de nakushitari hirottari..._**

**_kyuu ni samishiku natte...naichau hi mo aru kedoooo!_**

(Scenes of the brother's past are shown as Tiara flips through a scrapbook, Amy looking over her shoulder whilst Sonic and Tails's "ghosts" walk together, away from the house.)

_**Namida mo itami mo hoshi ni kaeyou,**_

_**ashita o terasu akari o tomosou!**_

_**chiisana te kazashite futari de tsukurou,**_

_**hoshikuzu o tsuyoku hikaru eien ooooo!**_

(A solitary figure floating in the air, sitting in a tree watches the boys pass by. He sighs deeply, and then vanishes as the boys slowly approach Tiara's house, the lights going on inside to welcome them in.)

**_Sayonara itsuka wa kuru kamo shirenai,_**

**_kisetsu wa sore demo megurimegutteku..._**

**_chiisaku mayotte mo aruiteku..._**

**_kimi to aruiteku sore dake wa kawaranaideiyou neeeee!_**

(They walk inside...

And are home.)


	15. The Captain's Fallen, Cold and Dead!

_The Chaos Emeralds. _

_It is a thing of immeasurable power. It grants joy to the suffering, victory to those on the verge of defeat, life to the dead...shining like a star in the hands of it's wielder, it possesses the power to turn one's thoughts into reality. It makes the impossible possible. Men honor it and worship what it can do. People believe it to be a gift from God._

_Yet what is required to make it..._

_Is the work of the Devil.

* * *

_

**OPENING CREDITS-SEASON THREE**

* * *

(Sonic is sitting on a hill, trying to reach up and "grab" the sun. As the clouds obscure it, he angrily slams his fist into the flower bed he's sitting in)

_**Shuuchuu dekite nai na mada karada ga mayotte iru 'n da**_  
_**furuete ita 'n ja KONTOROORU shitatte bure 'n da!**_

(He then stands up, turning around to see the Golems are all standing there. He claps his hands together, transforming into his "Super" form, rushing through the air)

_**Taiyou mo tsuki mo nan mo kanzen ni kocchi muite inai ga**_  
_**yaru shika nai 'n da iikikaseru you ni sou tsubuyaita**_!

(Shadow and Mighty stand together in an old military picture along with Rouge, all smiling at the camera. Shadow puts the picture down, clenching his fist and finally tossing a burning fireball out of the window, which soars into the camera.)

_**Joukyou wa warui ga tada nigedasu 'n ja konjou nai na**_  
_**tenbou wa nai ga dokyou de KURIA suru shika nai ya**_  
_**shoudou wa osaeta mama TAAGETTO to no kankaku sagure**_  
_**hitsuyou na mono wa katsu PURAIDO wo!**_

(King and the envoys from the Kingdom of the Sun stand together by Sonic and Tails, giving them a raised fist of friendship as a shadow grows ominously from underneath King, and Omega's visage appears in the sky, the camera panning out to where he is as he sits with Marine and Fang by a fire.)

**_Ajiwau no wa shouri no bishu ka sore tomo haiboku no kujuu ka_**  
**_sono subete wa futatsu ni hitotsu ayatsuritai unmei no ito!_**

(NiGHTS looks over a photo, a sad, mournful expression on his face as he finally lowers his head, shaking slightly)

_**Zekkou no golden time kono te de tsukame**_  
_**konshin no poker face kimete shikakeru yo**_  
_**Illusion no sekai e hikizuri konde!**_

(Sonic and Tails stand before their respective doors to the "Ultimate Truth" as they slowly open wider and wider...)

_**Saigen nai pressure game sururito nukete**_  
_**eikou no borderline tobikoeru tame ni**_  
_**How many? dore kurai no daishou ga iru?**_  
_**tebanashitaku nai no wa dore?**_

(The scene changes back to the first scene, but before Sonic can slam his fist into the flower bed, the sun peeks out through the clouds, dissipating them, and he stands up, eyes widening in awe)

**Episode Fourteen:**

**The Captain's Fallen, Cold and Dead!**

船長が落ちている,寒さと死!

* * *

"Good lord, that train ride went on forever." Sonic said, rubbing his head as he and Tails and Amy carried their things off the train. "I'm just glad to be able to stand back UP again. My butt's sore."

"Sitting down for so long wasn't the annoying part. What was annoying was that we were being spied on that whole time...and are still being watched like rats in a lab." Tails remarked, looking up at the top of the train where David and Elise were sitting.

"Have you, by chance, seen King?" David asked, furrowing his brow in concern.

They looked left. Then right. Then left, then right again.

"He's gone missing again?" Amy remarked.

"Ohhhhh." David mumbled, shaking his head. "Our beloved prince is missing again." He quickly ran to the edge of the train and began calling out. "Kiiiiing! Kiiiiiing? Where are you?"

"Oh, what if he collapsed again?" Elise murmured in worry, biting at her thumbnails and chewing slightly.

"Too bad, so sad." Sonic remarked, sniggering slightly. "Let's get moving on."

"Kiiiiiiiing!"

"Helloooooo?"

Meanwhile, King stood far atop the train station upon it's roof, the wind blowing through his hair, making the folds of his outfit sway like a dancing cobra. He folded his arms, eyes narrowed, turned to harsh, golden slits. Something about this entire country was...wrong. "Off". It felt...foul. It felt like...like...

"Something's...moving...underground?" He murmured.

Meanwhile, down the street, Ray the Flying Squirrel exited from a taxi, a basket filled with fruit, cheese, bread and a bottle of wine in one hand. He nervously brushed some of his yellow locks back, his tail twitching as he approached the door and headed inside, up to the second floor of an old, rather run-down apartment.

Shave-and-a-hair-cut...

"Two bits." Vector responded, opening up the door and showing off his large crocodilian grin. "Nice of you to stop by!"

"I got you a little something from Shadow. Actually, two somethings." He held up the basket, and then something from his jacket pocket.

"Hot DAMN, man! Ice Cube! This is classic s—t, dude, I tell you." Vector remarked. "Not like that pussy "whiter than white bread" Vanilla Ice, man."

"I thought he was "V-Ice" now." Ray inquired as he headed into the next room, where Scylla, of all people, was sitting at a checkers board. "So, how's it going?"

"I have yet to beat him." Scylla remarked, folding her arms and giving off an expression that was the closest she could come to a scowl with her robotic body. "I'm bored. I can't beat anybody up, and that nice bat with the sweet ass ain't here. Can't you have her visit?"

"...I'll see what I can do." Ray remarked, rolling his eyes.

"How long again do I gots to look after "Punch first, ask questions later"?" Vector inquired.

Ray quickly "harrumphed" and then drew himself up, sweeping some of his hair back to look like Shadow's quills. "Sorry to have you on a dangerous assignment, but don't neglect your normal duties"-" Ray then sniggered. "Hee. I said "doodie"."

"Yeah, you TOTALLY said "doodie"!" Scylla sniggered.

"...anything ELSE?"

"Oh. Uh..." Ray cleared his throat again. "We're treating this like sick leave."

"WHAT?"

"If anybody from the general public or any other military personnel see you, don't think you won't pay for it!"

"...ohhhhhh." Vector groaned and sank in his chair. "I'LL BE STUCK IN HERE FOREVER AT THIS RATE!" He yelled. "...please tell me there's some good news."

"Yep!"

Vector's head shot up. "Really?"

"My girlfriend let me get to second base!" Ray said, holding up two fans, folding and unfolding them dramatically as a rising sun appeared around him, and a faintly Japanese call echoed out through the room.

**SFX: Yoohhhh-ooooooo!**

"She was supportive of me moving and even helped me set up my new apartment AND she's a hottie-hot-hottie!" Ray went on, practically melting.

"Has she got a nice ass?" Scylla inquired.

Vector wondered if it was possible for him to cut through his wrists with the tiny little butter knife he had on the table.

...

...

...

...meanwhile, not very far away...

King had passed out on the road again and was face down, moaning and groaning, surrounded by a fairly large group of people.

"_Los illegalos?_" One man inquired, earning him a kick in the leg.

"Don't be silly. Lookit the clothes. Definitely not from SOUTH of the Border."

"Hey, dude, you okay?" One man asked as the Central Cops leaned down.

"Sir? Sir, can you hear us?" One of the policemen asked.

"We might have to perform CPR." His buddy admitted nervously, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Is it 30 pushes, or 20?"

"...foooooood...waaaaater...atmospheeeeeere..." King muttered.

"Where you from?" One of the cops inquired.

"...Sole...anna..."

"Wow, that's a LONG way off. Well, just show us your passport and we'll help you out."

"...passport?" King asked, his head shooting up. "What's a-oh. You mean like an entry visa?"

"Yes."

King blinked, thinking back.

NOT SO LONG AGO:

"_You're SURE you've got everything?" _

"_Absolutely. Sword! Clothes! My sandals! Packed for water, food, my notepad, a pen...all set!"_

_"Nothing else?"_

_"Nothing else. I'm good to go, I assure you!"_

_"Well okay, but if you forget anything, just remember, I TRIED to tell you."_

PRESENT:

"...aw, HECK." King moaned as they dragged him off.

"Illegal alien coming through!" The cops announced.

"See? _Los illegalos_." The man from before told his friend.

"Guess they're trying to get a piece of the pie from EVERYWHERE."

"We should drop by Central HQ first." Sonic told Tails. "Say hi to Shadow and the others."

"I think I'll stop by the Milo's home and pay my respects." Amy told Sonic and Tails as they continued to walk down the sidewalk. "I wanna see how big little Venus Dee's gotten!"

"We'll meet you there, then?" Sonic asked.

"Yep, see you later!" Amy laughed, heading off as Tails watched her go.

"Do you think that Mighty's found out any more information for us?" Tails wanted to know. "He might have found out something else about the Chaos Emeralds."

"Maybe." Sonic admitted. "But first thing's first. Let's tell him and the others about the Golems."

"Yeah. They need to know this stuff right away." Tails murmured.

And so, the two headed off for Central HQ, making their way through an enormous park, running as fast as they could. They rounded a corner, passing by a park bench, casting a glance at a phone booth where several flowers and wreathes had been laid down.

"Oh my." Tails said, coming to a stop. "Oh, that's awful."

"Some poor city kid getting gunned down, maybe? A drive by?" Sonic asked.

"There's just too much violence in the city." Tails said. "The police should do something about it. Central needs to take more control."

"Wax! Hey, Wax!" Wave inquired as she entered the library. "Listen, you still have the key to room number 3, right?"

"Oh, yeah, but it's a REAL mess." The Wax admitted nervously, shaking his head back and forth rapidly. "I can't let **anybody** in until it's completely clean!" He protested.

"...really?" Wave asked. "Well...okay, if you say so." She remarked, scratching her head. "Could you just make sure to get these books out for me when you get the chance?" She asked, handing the blue-haired human a note and leaving the room.

The Wax breathed a sigh of relief, then carefully snuck into room number three, where Shadow was leaning back in a chair, a book over his face, other books littered around him as if somebody'd taken a machine gun and used volumes of tomes instead of bullets to fire. "Uh., Colonel Shadow, sir?" The Wax inquired.

"...yess?" Shadow murmured, rubbing his head and getting up. "How long have I been asleep?"

"...ten minutes? Sir, maybe you shouldn't push yourself-"

"...dang. And I have a meeting at..." He looked down at his watch. "...now. Oh well. I'll be back later." Shadow said, leaving the room and the adjoining room it was in. The Wax followed him, sighing slightly as Shadow rounded the corner.

"Was that SHADOW?" A voice spoke up.

"GAAAAAAAAAAH!" The Wax jumped three feet in the air, holding onto a hanging light fixture before finally turning to see a creamy-furred head with orange-tipped, long ears. "Oh! Ms. Vanilla!" He said, dropping down from the fixture. "What can I help you with?"

"What was Shadow doing here?" Vanilla inquired. "Just out of curiosity?"

"...er..."

"Let me guess." Vanilla laughed. "He twisted your arm into letting him use "that" room for his own reasons. I imagine...to do with finding out Mighty?"

"Yes. He asked about the materials used at the Fifth Laboratory and said it had to do with the Milo case." The Wax said nervously. "I only got my job here through Mighty and Knuckles's recommendations...I just wanted to...honor his memory. Maybe help solve the case-"

"Well. There's a lot of work to do today." Vanilla admitted, patting the Wax on the shoulder. "Carry on!" She said cheerily, leaving the human be.

As "Vanilla" walked down the hall, rubbing her chin, she suddenly noticed that a creamy-furred head was standing at a fountain nearby, taking a drink. Eyes widening, she ducked into the men's bathroom, her body quickly changing...

A moment later, a low-level coyote clerk saluted at Vanilla, leaving the bathroom and walking past her, giving a small smirk as she headed off in the direction of The Wax.

"Hey!" Vanilla called out to the Wax, who turned to look away from his desk at the room near room number 3. "Mornin'!"

"...wait...didn't you just?" The Wax blinked a feew times in confusion.

Meanwhile, Shadow was washing his face, looking himself over in the mirror, the last bits of water draining down into nothingness. He sighed, looking at the bags in his eyes, blinking a few times and rubbed his eyes slightly. "...ugh..."

"Hello, sir." Knuckles called out, stepping out of a bathroom stall and going to a sink. "...have you...lost weight?" The echidna wanted to know, turning the tap water on.

"Maybe. Did you get injured on your trip to the South?" Shadow asked right back.

"Maybe." Knuckles responded. "It's just a scratch. By the way, I saw the **Metal Brotherhood** down at Angel Island. They went to see their teacher and I happened to meet with them."

"...did you tell them about...about IT?" Shadow mumbled as Knuckles turned the tap water off.

"No." The echidna said softly. "...but they're going to find out eventually, won't they?"

"Yes. Eventually." Shadow murmured. "...the Fifth Laboratory was being used to make Chaos Emeralds using the souls of innocent people. And Mighty stuck his pointed nose into what the two brothers were investigating, biting off more than he could chew. Is that what you wanted to tell me, but couldn't not long after Mighty's funeral?"

_"Why can't you tell me?" Shadow snapped. "Are you going to disobey a superior officer?"_

_"I can't tell you." Knuckles said firmly, eyes looking intently into Shadow's face._

"..." Knuckles nodded firmly.

"If they found out he died because of what **they** were involved with, it would have hurt them. Really hurt them." Shadow went on. "You sure are a great big softy."

"You're well-informed!" Knuckles complimented.

"I'm GETTING there." Shadow said.

"Then be careful." Knuckles whispered. "...there's no telling WHO'S listening and WHERE." He added, leaving the room.

Elsewhere, Sonic and Tails had finally met up with Rouge as she waited in the hallway for Shadow to appear. And she seemed quite happy to see them again.

"I'm happy to see you again!" Rouge remarked cheerily. "And it's long time no see, eh?"

"Is that a new perfume you're wearing?" Tails inquired.

"What? Ah! No, no, definitely not." Rouge insisted, shaking her head. "...okay. Yes. It's supposed to appeal to a man's most basic instincts."

Sonic took a sniff of the air. "...PEPPERONI? Wait. This is Central Command. Are you just VISITING, or-"

"Welly-welly-well." Shadow remarked, entering the hallway. "Hello, Sonic."

"...Shadow." Sonic mumbled. "...please tell me you're only visiting."

"I was reassigned with my team here to Central. Not bad, eh?" Shadow asked calmly.

"...I'm SO enthusiastic. Truly." Sonic muttered, looking down and to the side.

"What brings you here today?"

"We've come for a little bit of research. We need to know more." Tails told them. "And we were really hoping we'd be able to talk to Mighty!"

Rouge almost bit through her tongue. Shadow's lip became a taut line for a moment as his eyes went steely. "How's he doing?"

"...he retired. He took his wife and kids out to the country and took over the family business." Shadow said with a straight face as Rouge gave him a glance.

"Oh, really?" Sonic remarked, blinking in confusion a few times. "Well, gee, I..." He scratched his head. "That's a bit of a shock..."

"I hope Amy won't be upset when she finds they're not there." Tails told his brother.

"I've got lots of work to do." Shadow said, about to head off. "But listen...take care of yourself...and...and don't do anything crazy." He added softly, leaving the hallway with Sonic and Tails behind him.

"...you're really okay with just...fibbing to those guys like that?" Rouge asked, frowning deeply. "I mean, really. They're going to find out the truth eventually."

"I know. But...they don't need to know just now. They seem so happy." Shadow murmured.

"So just this once, you're gonna treat them like little kids?"

"Just this once." Shadow murmured. "...guess I'm a hypocrite. Calling Knuckles a softy when I'm doing this."

"You SURE you oughta be doing this at all? Sometimes kids need to hear hard truths." Rouge added, stopping him in front of a window as the light gently filtered in, illuminating them both. "This seems to be one of those times."

"..."

"I think what you did was cruel." Rouge murmured. "...you should go back and tell-"

"Sonic! Tails!" Wave called out, waving and heading over in their direction, a big smile on her face. "How have you been doing?"

"Oh, we've been off visiting our old teacher." Sonic told her. "But we have to get a move on to go find Amy and let her know."

"Know what?" Wave inquired, raising an invisible eyebrow.

"Well, we heard from Shadow about Mighty." Sonic admitted.

"...you did, huh?" Wave asked quietly, frowning a bit. "It's...rough."

"And there's so much we wanted to say to him."

"Too bad we couldn't say goodbye to him." Tails went on.

"We WANTED to call you, but...we couldn't reach you. You don't have to worry too much, we made sure he had a proper send-off." Wave went on, nervously rubbing her arm.

"Oh? Really?" Tails asked, looking surprised. "That was damn decent of them!"

"And...and you might have heard he got promoted too...he went from a lieutenant colonel to a brigadier general. All in all, not...not bad." Wave murmured.

Sonic looked a bit weirded out. "Wait...they promoted him two ranks AND let him retire to the country?"

At the words "retire to the country", Wave's blue eyes shot open and the pupils turned to horrified slits as her hands flew to her beak.

And just like that, Sonic and Tails "got it". Tails's eyes widened as he dropped his luggage. Sonic's eyes became wide-open, horror filling his features.

"...no." He squeaked out.

Meanwhile, Amy had picked up a bunch of wonderful bunch of fruit to make a personalized fruit basket for Ms. Milo. "Let's see." She looked it over. "Cherries, watermelon, grapes...oh, she's gonna love this!"

"It can't...it CAN'T BE!" Sonic screamed.

"Why...why Mighty?" Tails demanded to know.

"...Mighty..." Wave murmured. "...he..."

...

...

...

...Sonic ran, his face wracked with pain, heaving and on the verge of screaming as he barreled through the park, Wave's words echoing in his head.

"_...Mighty was murdered shortly after you were discharged from the hospital, Sonic. We still haven't caught the culprit..."_

And it had all been his fault. HE'D been the one who'd pulled Mighty into this. If he had never involved Mighty...if he'd never brought up all that talk about Chaos Emeralds and strange eyes and laboratories...

_"Hmm. Guardians who were only souls attached to robotic dolls...you being referred to as a "sacrifice"...beings with strange eyes...a Metallurgic circle hidden in a laboratory...and to top it all off, Big saying that Chaos Emeralds were used in the Shanazaran Campaign..." Mighty whispered, frowning darkly as he pulled his sunglasses down slightly. "...I do NOT like the sound of this. This whole thing reeks like some government conspiracy in one of those old 90's movies from back when people thought the Internet could take away your entire life."_

He finally came to a stop, falling to his knees by a tree, gloved hands digging into the ground.

"_Remember what I told you! Whenever you're in Central City, feel free to come here anytime. Me casa es su casa!"_

...it was all his fault...

_"...your girlfriend sure is cute." Mighty told Sonic, elbowing him slightly._

_"She's __**not**__ my girlfriend!" Sonic muttered swiftly._

_"Though not as fine as MY honey mine!" Mighty added proudly._

All his fault...

_"This is my wife's special recipe." Mighty told Sonic as they sat around a table. There were several large cupboards with ornate-looking cups and china behind Mighty, and paintings of the family tree hanging on the wall. "You should come 'round on Mardi Gras. The gumbo is fantastic."_

_"Some paprika, a couple hits of Tabasco sauce and a bit of heart makes it the bee's knees." Willie Mae told Sonic as he eagerly dug into the Chili, with Miles sitting nearby._

_"C'mon, eat up." Mighty told Miles, grinning. "It's delish."_

He turned his head, noticing that Tails was standing nearby...by a very familiar phone booth. Sonic's eyes widened, suddenly understanding why the flowers were there, and he staggered over to it, falling back to his knees and banging his fists upon it, sobbing freely as Tails closed his eyes, his body shaking.

Amy knocked on the door to the Milo's home. "Daddy?" Venus called out, quickly opening the door only to find a smiling Amy looking down at her. The little armadillo's head lowered and she finally began to wail, clutching onto Amy's legs as if she was afraid to let go.

"Venus Dee, what's wrong?" Amy asked gently. Then she noticed Willie Mae had appeared in the doorway. "Oh! Mrs. Milo!" She asked. "Is something wrong with...what's...what's wrong?" She asked quietly, seeing the woman's sorrowful, mournful look. "Where's Mr. Milo?"

...

...

...

...knock-knock-knock.

Ms. Milo opened the door again, giving a small little smile at Sonic and Tails. "...hey." She said softly.

"...hey." Sonic murmured. He looked as though he'd been crying for a long time. The last remains of tears were lingering on his stomach and shoes. "...is...Amy?"

"...she's on the couch. She...knows. Like you do, apparently." Willie Mae added quietly, letting them inside. They all sat down in the living room as Sonic and Tails looked over at Amy, who was blowing into a Kleenex.

"You heard?" Amy finally managed to get out as little Venus laid next to her, head resting against her.

"...yes." Sonic said softly. "From Wave."

"There's something we need to tell you all." Tails said, grateful that Venus appeared to be asleep. "It's going to be a lot to take in." He added softly.

So they explained it all. The Chaos Emeralds. The Golems. Why Mighty the Armadillo had died. And when they'd finished, Sonic bowed his head. "Tails and I promised each other we'd do all we could to get our original forms back, but if innocent people will die because of what we want...it's not worth it." He said quietly. "...and we're so sorry."

Ms. Milo was quiet for a long, long time. But then...

"It's just like him, huh? Always getting hurt trying to help other people. You know...I think that's how he wanted to die, too." She added softly. "I don't think he really had any regrets..." She told them as Sonic and Tails looked at each other, almost unable to believe what they were hearing.

"...Ms. Milo..." Tails murmured.

"You're not the one who shot him." She said simply. "Don't say you're giving up. You do that...and my husband's death won't have meant **anything**." She said firmly. "Just have faith in yourself and what you can do, and find a new way to move forward. It'll be hard...but it's always hard, isn't it?" She added sadly.

"...yes. Yes, it is always hard." Tails admitted.

"...thank you." Sonic murmured.

...

...

...

...Sonic, Tails and Amy had left the building to leave Ms. Milo be, and now walked along the sidewalk, not speaking. They seemed to not truly be existing. It was as if all the world was nothing but a dream around them. That the world they lived in was just a nightmare they'd wake from.

But upon returning to the hotel, they knew it wasn't so. Amy clutched a pillow tightly to her chest as she sat on a chair in her room, eyes blankly staring at the wall. Sonic had taken ahold of an apple from the kitchen and was taking small, tiny bites as he refused to take his eyes off the stem. And Tails sat down on his bed, paws folded in his lap as he shivered.

He wanted so much to cry. He wanted to just shed one single tear for Mighty. But tears were a gift of the living. Tears were a gift of God. And there was no God in the sadness he was feeling. Only a terrible emptiness.

He finally headed towards the window and began to slowly thump upon it with his paw/hand, then began to bang with both of them, finally beginning to scream over and over as he slipped down onto his knees, dry-sobbing, striking the ground.

He wanted to wake up. He wanted to wake up. He wanted-

...

...

...

... "Well? He's snooping around?" **Flippancy** inquired as she, **Ignorance** and **Racism** stood around in a darkly-lit room.

"Unfortunately, yes. And if he actually found out something..." Racism added softly, red eyes narrowed.

"To think, we moved him to Central so we could keep a better eye on him, but he's turning into almost more trouble than he's WORTH." Flippancy mumbled. "Men are worthless. Like my boyfriend, who thinks the more he talks, the more I'll listen."

"Is he talking about anything USEFUL?" Racism, aka Metal Sonic inquired, looking amused.

"If by "useful" you mean what shampoo he uses to put the bounce in his hair, then yes, he's got a plethora of information in his noggin." Flippancy remarked. "We'll have to go out on a little information-hunting, won't we, Ignorance?" Flippancy asked cheerily, patting the Biolizard on the head.

"Hmm. I wonder." Metal Sonic got an interesting idea. "What do you do when you have a nosy dog?...you give it some food." He said softly, dangerously. "Why don't we throw our little dog a BONE?"

...

...

...

...Wave was sitting in the cafeteria, sipping on some coffee as she spoke with Jet about VERY important matters.

"Death Star!"

"U.S.S Enterprise!"

"DEATH STAR!"

"ENTERPRISE!"

"How can you be so stupid? The Death Star can blow up freakin' PLANETS!"

"It got blown up by a HICK and a 20-year-old walking blue and white trash can! "

"A hick who can use the FORCE! How many Force users you got on the Enterprise, Jet? Huh?"

"The Enterprise has Captain Picard and Commander Data. They're even better than Luke!"

"Yeah, a bald **French** guy and a 20 year old robot that gets reprogrammed all the time! Sooooo scary!" Wave said, waving her hands in the air.

"Hey, Picard's the shiznit." Jet argued, taking a sip of some coffee. "He'd have Data find the weak point on the death star in 20 seconds!"

"One Force Choke and Baldy McNohair's not gonna be doin' much of anything!"

"Dream on! Captain Picard would just beam out before-"

"Ah-hem. Second Lieutenant Wave?"

Jet, Wave and the others at the cafeteria turned their heads to see a shark dressed up in a fancy outfit standing there, arms behind his back. "I'm Bruce Banana Loboto." The gruff-looking shark remarked, his sunglasses flashing. "I'm from the Marshall's office."

"You have to come with us. Your gun?"

"Fine, can I ask what the heck this is all about?" Wave inquired, giving them her gun as others in the room began to take notice, looking surprised.

"Your name has come up as a material witness in the murder of Mighty the Armadillo."

"WHAT?" She exclaimed.

"WHAT?" Shadow inquired. "Wave? HER?"

"She's pleading not guilty." Rouge informed him as he looked over the clipboard she'd given him with all the data regarding Central Command's current investigation into the death of Mighty.

"Hmm. Gather all the materials you can pertaining to her, but do it quickly and secretly." Shadow said, folding his arms as he handed the clipboard back. "I want to know ALL about this." He added, looking out the window at the city. In fact, just a few blocks away, Ray was bringing a bunch of flowers over to a nearby café.

"Hello, Louise!" He remarked cheerily, holding up his bouquet of white flowers as he approached the table where his date was sitting. "I didn't make you wait, did I?" The Flying Squirrel inquired, giving her the bouquet.

"No, I just got here." The eggplant-colored hedgehog said, taking off her reading glasses and putting down her copy of "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn". "I'd love to hear more of your interesting stories, Ray. I'm in a romantic mood. Tell me something...RACY." She inquired, grinning broadly.

**Author's Note:**

**The title of this chapter comes from an old poem about Abraham Lincoln, who's portrayed as a sea captain of a ship. The ship has finally, after being out at dangerous seas for so long, returned home in victory, but the captain will never know of this victory, for he's dead as stone. The same aptly applied to Lincoln...and, in a way, to Mighty.  
**


	16. Army is untrustworthy? What else is new?

_The Chaos Emeralds. _

_It is a thing of immeasurable power. It grants joy to the suffering, victory to those on the verge of defeat, life to the dead...shining like a star in the hands of it's wielder, it possesses the power to turn one's thoughts into reality. It makes the impossible possible. Men honor it and worship what it can do. People believe it to be a gift from God._

_Yet what is required to make it..._

_Is the work of the Devil._

**Episode Fifteen:**

**The Military's Untrustworthy? What ELSE Is New?**

**我々は、軍を信頼していないか？だから何？**

* * *

Wave the Swallow sat in a darkly lit room, looking confused. She couldn't really believe this was happening. It all seemed to be something out of a nightmare. The shark across from her, Bruce, lowered his sunglasses ever-so-slightly to glare intently at her, his arms folded before him, several guards stationed at the door of the interrogation office.

She had been arrested under suspicion of being involved in the murder of Brigadier General Mighty the Armadillo. A recorder to the right was in the process of writing down everything that was being said in the room. So far it was just a reiteration of what she already knew...

KLINK.

A bullet fell to the table.

"THIS is the bullet used to kill Brigadier General Mighty. It was of a .45 caliber. Only one bullet was used in the murder." Bruce went on calmly. "It'd like to say it was a good shot...but the murder was at point blank range. So close that even a woman could have done-"

"EVEN a woman?" Wave asked, frowning darkly.

"...moving on." Bruce spoke up. "What caliber gun do you use?"

"45."

"This is an ammunition resupply memo you sent out." The shark said, holding up a piece of paper. "You're lucky we keep track of everything here. So you needed to restock your gun, correct?"

"Yes."

"It says you fired one shot off and that's why you asked for another bullet. What for?"

"Like it says on the memo, I was protecting blue britches and his brother at the 5th laboratory from a psycho robot." Wave told him.

"That laboratory has been closed for years, and is unmanned." The shark remarked.

"That's not what WE saw." Wave said, frowning a bit.

"So you say."

"Why would I even kill the Brigadier General? He hasn't done a thing to me!" Wave said. "Nobody had anything against him in our entire-"

"And if we were to search the rubble that is now the 5th laboratory, would we find it?" The shark inquired, cutting her off.

"I don't think so, the place was blown apart by an explosion." She told him.

"So you fired off your gun at a place that is supposed to be unguarded and even if we tried to search for the bullet, we wouldn't find it." Bruce commented.

Wave frowned. "If you don't believe me, ask Jet. Or Sonic or Tails. We KNOW what we saw there. And buildings don't just EXPLODE, sir! There were clearly people-"

"I'm not here to lecture you. What's the point? My words just curdle in your ears, you don't take in a thing." The shark said calmly. "So much filth inside your head, ain't no room for the words of truth."

"You'd better watch language like that. People are gonna think you're a woman-hating creepazoid!" Wave hissed.

"We have eyewitnesses PLACING you at the scene of the crime, girly. Or rather, **leaving** it."

"That's ridiculous!" Wave protested. "If you'll check my schedule, which I **cleared** with Central Command, that day was my day off and I went to my parent's house to spend the day with them. I was with them all day, call them up if you don't believe-"

"The testimony of family members and those with whom you are on close terms is not admissible as an alibi!" The shark said simply.

"WHAT?"

Meanwhile, Knuckles was standing outside of the Marshall's office, arms folded, frowning darkly. He turned his head to see Jet approaching him, and blinked a few times.

"Sir! SIR!" Jet called out. "What's going on? Did you get-"

"I couldn't get inside to see Wave, I'm afraid." Knuckles told Jet quietly as they headed off. "Apparently, from what I CAN gather, they say that she fired a single bullet from her gun which killed Mighty."

"She fired a single bullet but not at Mighty. We fired it together to defend the **Metal Brotherhood** at the Fifth Laboratory." Jet spoke quietly back. "I said so in my report, but they aren't **listening**."

"This is..." Knuckles frowned. "Are they trying to paint Wave as the culprit?" He murmured darkly. "Frame her?"

Meanwhile, Amy was dusting off Tails's body, trying to keep busy. "See?" She said, holding up a small little thing. "Mothballs. They've been nesting in you when you're asleep. I told you, you've got to take better care of yourself!"

"I'm sorry." Tails apologized, nervously blushing as Sonic lay sprawled on the bed in the hotel room they were in. "We've been kind of...too preoccupied to think about personal hygiene what with...everything." Tails murmured.

"...what are you guys ging to do now?" Amy asked, her tone soft, serious.

"...what ARE we going to do?" Sonic murmured. "...Amy...what do you think?" He asked at last.

"...to be honest...I've been scared." Amy told them. "You two have been fighting for a long time...and investigating something that got Mighty killed. And then, what would happen if you died? I'd lose two more people I really, really cared about, like..."

She hesitated. "...like Mom and Dad..." She whimpered. "I don't...I don't know what to do either."

"...I'm going to go get the paper." Tails mumbled, leaving the room.

"I'll go get us some sodas from down the hall." Amy offered, also leaving the room.

"Heh-heh-heh. I've got you know!" Vector remarked evilly.

"Maybe." Scylla remarked.

"What do you mean?" Vector asked, frowning as he gestured at the checkers board before them. "There's only one move you can make. You move there, then I take your two pieces here and win!"

"There's always another option in "Checkers"." Scylla commented calmly.

SCHAKKA-BAM!

"Hello, boss! I got the paper like you asked me to-oh." Bomb blinked a few times as he watched the door open, showing off Vector with a checkers board lodged in his nasal cavity. "...another glorious victory, boss? I picked up the paper for you like you asked."

"Any good news in it?" Vector said after yanking the board out and tossing it away.

"Well, I only check the Sports section. By the way, you missed an EXCELLENT soccer match yesterday between-" Bomb began to say.

"What the?" Vector gasped in horror, looking down at the bottom of the front page. He then raced for the telephone and quickly picked it up as Scylla and Bomb blinked stupidly, Bomb closing the door behind him. "Hello? Please, connect me to Shadow at Central IMMEDIATELY. My code is "Ruby"!"

"What's all the hubbub?" Scylla remarked. "Come on, Crocodile Rock, tell me what's...ohhhhhh!" Her/his eyes widened as she picked up the newspaper, looking at a very particular newspaper article.

"What the heck!" Sonic gasped, looking the newspaper over with Tails. "Wave the Swallow, suspected accused of murdering Brigadier General Mighty the Armadillo was convicted on charges of first degree murder?" He read out loud. "WAVE?"

"HER?" Tails gaped.

They immediately headed out the room, rushing down the stairs. "We need to find Shadow and Knuckles. They'd know something about this!" Tails insisted. "...but Amy's still getting us sodas-"

"We're gonna hafta tell her later!" Sonic reasoned. "Faster, c'mon!"

...

...

...

... "This is so humiliating." King spoke up, sighing deeply. "Why do I have to wear these?" He inquired, holding up his wrist where a prisoner's chain had been stuck. "You know, we do not have "jails" in my kingdom, we view restricting a person's freedom as-"

"Quit your whining." The guard snapped. "They're like a collar for a mutt."

"I resent being called a "mutt"!" King said, frowning darkly. "I'm a pure blooded venom-fanged anaconda! My entire family's of noble descent!"

"And how old are you?" The guard inquired.

"20." King told him. "And I do not have a "record" either, why do you keep asking-"

"You don't LOOK it." He laughed.

"It's **true**!"

It was then that the guard noticed his fellow comrades were rushing down the hallway, and the sounds of gunfire echoed through the prison. "What the?"

Another guard turned his way. "Some THING just busted in through the walls and is trying to make it's way through the prison! You've got to come quickly!"

The guards continued to fire over and over at Scylla, who continued to move forward. "Oh, c'mon. Are you silly-willies even TRYING?"

One of them held up a shotgun. BA-BAAAAAM! The head went flying off...

And she caught it, putting it back on. "It's...not...a suit?" One of them asked.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

They all ran screaming like wussies down the hall as Scylla held her hands in the air. "Your tax dollars at work, folks." She thought out loud, heading down the hall. "I wish I could beat them to a pulp, but there's other work to be do-"

"Hello? Being whom guns don't have any effect upon?"

Scylla entered the hallway King was locked up in, passing by other people's cells and looking him over. "Yes?"

"Would you please be so kind as to get me out of this cell?"

"Who are you?" Scylla inquired.

"I'm an illegal immigrant from Soleanna. My name is King." King told her.

"I'm Scylla. Soleanna, eh? Well...I could always use a new hangout." She admitted. "...fine."

She quickly approached the bars and ripped them clean out, allowing King to step out of the prison cell as she dusted herself off and continued walking down the hall. "Was there somebody you were intending to rescue?" King inquired.

"Yes. A swallow."

"Oh, you must mean that foul-mouthed bird down the hall!" King remarked.

"Down the hall?"

"Down the hall, to the left and-"

And five minutes later, an absolutely horrified Wave was staring down Scylla in the face. "It's YOU!" She gasped. "That robot from the 5th Laboratory!"

"You remembered me? I'm touched! I remembered YOU too!" Scylla showed off the side of her head, where an unmistakable bullet wound was. "My cheek still stings from that day! Of course, I should have expected such a killer instinct from the woman that killed a Brigadier General."

"It's all a load of bull! I'll prove myself innocent!" Wave said angrily.

"No, you won't. They already found you guilty." The robot said, holding up the day's newspaper for her to see. She looked it over, eyes widening in horror.

"Oh my." King shook his head in disgust. "They've pinned the guilt on you so unjustly..."

"You're going to have to choose. Either run for it with me...or stay and get tortured to death." The robot remarked.

"Ohhhhh MY MOM AND DAD ARE GONNA KILL MEEEEEE!" Wave moaned, banging her head against the wall as Scylla sighed and folded "it's" arms.

"Uh...we had best be going. I hear guards coming." King spoke up nervously.

"...fine. Let's go. You'd better not let me get killed, ya big scrap heap!" She snapped, heading out of the jail cell.

"Ooh, she sure has spunk...and a nice ASS too..." Scylla added, and she would have smiled if she could have.

"Hey, a girl's gotta have nerve!"

Meanwhile, not very far away, Marshall Bruce Banana Loboto put down the phone. "So, it is like that, eh?" He murmured. He turned to the others in his office. "Wave the Swallow broke out. Notify every zone in Central City. I want a search of every outhouse, doghouse and dollhouse! She appears to have broken out with the help of an exceedingly violent companion, so if she resists, let them know it is acceptable to shoot to kill!"

Elsewhere, on the streets of Central City, Shadow the Hedgehog calmly put one foot in front of the other, his eyes narrowed with purpose, hands clenching and unclenching. He had a job to do...

...

...

...

... "They say...running..."

"Pant-pant-pant..."

"Can actually...be good for you..."

"Pant-pant-pant..."

"That it can increase..."

"Pant-pant-pant..."

"Your life expectancy..."

"Pant-pant-pant..."

"Talk about stating the obvious!" Scylla remarked as she, Wave and King continued to rush down the back alleys of Central City.

"Oh!" King gasped as they suddenly turned a corner, running right into Sonic and Tails of all people.

"Wave?" The two brothers exclaimed.

"Sonic? Tails?"

"Oh, what a nice surprise!" King remarked cheerily. "...sort of. We're kind of in the middle of running for our lives."

"Yes, we don't have time this!" Scylla snapped. "You, bird-girl! Head for the corner alley to my right and slip away under cover of darkness!"

"Wait! Ms. Wave, did you really-" Sonic began to say.

Wave was about to say something but Scylla spoke up. "If you don't run, you know that the police will find and shoot you on sight, GO!"

Wave tossed them a tortured look, then ran for it, squeezing into an alley and taking off as fast as she could.

"Wait! Ms. Wave!" Tails called out.

"Stay BACK!" Scylla snapped. "I got my orders, kiddies!"

Wave ran. Like the WIND. She panted and heaved, rushing through the alley, her "chicken legs" propelling her like a rocket through the air as the prisoner's chain ID on her wrist banged back and forth. She was running so fast that a burning feeling was surging up through her chest and-

She found herself moments away from the main street...with a dumpster to her right...a pile of newspapers to her left...

And Shadow the Hedgehog before her, holding up one hand, burning embers flickering around it like satellites orbiting a planet.

"Wave the Swallow..." He whispered coldly.

**THA-THWOOOOOOOM.**

An enormous explosion tore through the air as Sonic and Tails gasped, seeing a miniature mushroom cloud rise up into the night sky. "What the?"

"Oops. Looks like they got her." Scylla commented. She might as well have been discussing the weather.

BAM! Sonic knocked her out of the way as he and Tails ran to investigate. King sighed, then headed down an alley with Charybdis. This was not a safe place for him to be.

And...apparently...it had not been a safe place for Wave to be either.

...

...

...

... Human flesh requires extended exposure to 1,400 degrees Fahrenheit in order to ignite. Since the human body, indeed, most "Sapient" forms, are 85 percent water, what occurs is a burn outside to inside in a rapid cycle of layer-by-layer dehydration and ignition. The heat dries out the skin; the dry skin ignites. That fire dries out the next layer of muscle and fat, which then ignites. And so on, until the internal organs are consumed.

This had happened to Wave. What was left of her was a disgusting, rotting hulk of a frame that was sizzling in the alley, with Shadow calmly standing, back turned, to the horrified-looking Sonic, who gaped at the body before him...his eyes staring accusingly at Shadow as the black hedgehog turned around.

"Hello, Blue Blur."

"What the hell is going on here?" Sonic screamed furiously. "What the hell do you think you're doing, Shadow? And what the hell have you done?"

Shadow stood there, arms folded. He said nothing.

"...why did Mighty...why did Wave..." Sonic couldn't take it. He rushed forward and had grabbed ahold of Shadow hard, green eyes staring into red, a furious, baleful glare on his features. "Why didn't you tell us?" he screamed angrily.

BANG! Shadow punched Sonic in the face, knocking him to the ground and dusting himself. "Raising your hand at a superior officer? You're forgetting your place."

The look on Sonic's face was one of pure, unadulterated hatred. With a furious screeching cry he launched himself forward to rip the bastard's throat out with his bare teeth, but Tails was suddenly right behind him, holding him back as best he could.

"Let...me...GO!" Sonic yelled.

"Ogilvie, no!" Tails said, addressing his brother by his old name.

"He killed Wave, Miles!" Sonic snarled, practically spitting.

"What?" Then Tails looked down and saw the body. His eyes widened in horror. "What is this?" He gasped.

"The orders were to shoot her on sight." Shadow explained calmly, back turned to the brothers.  
"I'm sorry I did not tell you of Mighty's death. But don't argue against orders. Don't ask for explanations."

He turned around dramatically, eyes narrowing. "**That's** what it means to be a soldier." Shadow snapped.

It wasn't long before the crime scene investigators were examining the body. Bruce the Marshall looked the scene over, turning to Shadow and raising a non-existent eyebrow. "Tell me what happened."

"I told her to stay where she was, she tried to run, I used force." Shadow said simply.

"Oh, is it that simple?" The shark inquired. "I understand Mighty was a good friend of yours. I wonder if one of your men broke Wave out yourself...so you could burn her to death with your own hands?"

"Well, you had already decided you were going to be the judge and jury." Shadow commented coldly, unfolding the newspaper in front of the shark's face. "So I decided to give myself the role of executioner."

Bruce's eyes narrowed angrily.

"Funny how you prounounced her guilty after a single day without doing any sort of investigation or trial. Funny in the same sense that it was so easy for me to find her. And how she resisted so quickly. Life is funny, isn't it, Mr. Loboto?" Shadow remarked.

"You've got some ner-" Bruce began.

Sonic's punch to his groin made him gasp and he fell to his knees. If Sonic couldn't get any satisfaction from striking Shadow, he could get some from hitting the next best thing. Bruce fell to the ground, gasping horribly, eyes bugging out as Sonic and Tails left the alley, the shark looking up at Shadow.

"Don't...just...gaaaaaaaahh...don't...uaaahhhhh..."

"Don't what? I didn't see anything. Did you see anything?" Shadow quietly asked the crime scene investigators, who all quickly shook their heads. "See?" He said, turning back to Bruce. "You really ought to be more careful where you turn. And you should go check into a hospital, I think he actually broke the skin with that punch."

...

...

...

... "I'm...I'm sorry that I did not tell you of Mighty's death." Knuckles murmured softly as he stood with Sonic and Tails at the morgue wing of the hospital.

"It's my fault." Sonic mumbled.

"No. No it wasn't." Knuckles insisted. "You must not blame-"

"So, the gang is all here, eh?" A voice spoke up.

They turned their heads to see a white-haired old man in a labcoat standing there. He sighed and motioned for them to follow him in. "How is it, Dr. Thorndyke?"

Charles Thorndyke, aka "Chuck", led them over to the remains of the body, picking up some papers with his gloved hands. "The burns to the body were incredibly severe. But judging from what little was left of the body, including it's shape and some scraps of feathers that hadn't been charred too badly...I could determine that this was Wave the Swallow." He informed them. "...she's just charcoal now."

He turned his head to look over at Shadow, who was sitting at a chair. "You must have had a real grudge, wanting her to die like this. Feel better now, huh?"

Shadow just glared at him. Chuck let out a "hmph" and walked off. "The Hero of the Shanazar War, going this far to kentucky-fry a chicken. _Disgusting_."

Sonic resisted the urge to punch Shadow again. But then he saw Knuckles's gloved hands were digging in deep as he spoke up. "Colonel, allow me to apologize for what one of my own men did. To...to think Wave could have...have committed murder..."

Sonic and Tails felt their fury towards Shadow be temporarily abated by pity for the clearly upset Knuckles. The look in his eyes was one of absolute, raw fury, his teeth almost grinding, his body shaking with rage. "She was a spirited...brave...**considerate**...woman...wish...I'd had...a hundred...like...HER..." He managed to growl out.

"...I think that fatigue is getting to you." Shadow spoke quietly. "...perhaps...you should head out east. There's no big-city hustle and bustle, and lots of VERY nice girls."

With that, he left the hallway seconds before Knuckles let out a roar, punching the wall with a loud cry.

...

...

...

... "And so Shadow the Hedgehog avenges his dearest comrade and friend, and all is well that ends well."

"I don't know. The plan was supposed to get Shadow to behave. But now it seems that him taking the bait has sparked a bloodlust in him." Flippancy commented.

"Ah, who cares?" Racism sneered...or he would have if he could have. "And besides, the once proud "hero of Shanazar" is now hated by his subordinates. That alone puts a smile upon my face."

"You've got no lips." Flippancy remarked.

"Shut it."

...

...

...

...indeed. The "hated by his subordinates thing" was being seen clearly. Rouge had, out of the blue, requested a leave of absence...and then had slammed the door behind her so hard it had almost broken off it's hinges. Vector, who was still looking after Scylla, was in a visibly foul mood, usually sipping lightly as his coffee, muttering hateful things about Shadow under his breath every few minutes.

"Oh, I'm a lumberjack 'n I'm okay." Scylla sang out, calmly sharpening a large axe. "Hey! Foreign boy! What's up?"

King was outside the apartment in the apartment block's garden, enjoying a fine salad with a loaf of bread he was toasting at the moment. "I'm about to enjoy a very nice lunch." He called back to Scylla, putting some margarine on the bread roll. "I'd offer you a slice, but you don't have a mouth, do you?"

"Another thing I do miss about being un-fleshy." Scylla remarked calmly.

"How can you just let strangers follow you back! There's no more room for people here!" Vector argued.

"Oh, and it also acts as a signal fi-oh." King blinked, as Elise and David suddenly appeared in a tree nearby.

"We have been looking all over for you, dear prince!" David insisted, bowing deeply.

"I'm so glad you're alright." Elise said softly, gently.

"That was quick!" King remarked cheerily.

"Ooh, look! There's more." Scylla told Vector.

"I wish I had hair so I could tear it out and scream like a mammal." Vector said as he crawled underneath the table in the apartment. "I only hope Shadow is as pissed as me!"

"Oh? Elizabeth? Is that you?" Shadow beamed happily, leaning back in his chair as he talked to an unknown women. "How WONDERFUL of you to call! What? Oh, no, no, she's long gone. Off on a leave!"

"How quickly he forgets his girlfriend." Some of the men in his office muttered.

"Cough-cough-Sleaze-cough-cough!" Another mumbled out.

"I'm thinking about taking a leave myself to do some...fishing." Shadow remarked with a grin. "...would you care to come along?"

Meanwhile, the door to the hotel room that Sonic, Tails and Amy were staying in was knocked upon and Sonic opened up the door. "Hellooooo?"

CHUCKA-THUNK!

He was quickly and harshly knocked to the ground by Knuckles, who looked down ominously at him.

"What the?" Sonic gaped. "What's this about, Knucklehead?"

"Hmmmmmm...you need a vacation!" Knuckles announced.

"...what?"

"Right now ANYBODY could take you off guard. Come on! I won't take "no" for an answer, we're heading out!" He told Sonic, tossing him over his shoulder and leaving the room. "You stay here Tails! You would stand out too much...RIGHT?" he asked, eyes narrowing darkly.

"...oh, yes, I'm...in full...agreement..." Tails muttered nervously.

"Put me down, you overgrown ant muncher or I kick your...GAAAAH!" Sonic roared angrily.

"...what...just...happened?" Amy moaned.

"...I don't know." Tails murmured. "I really don't know.

...

...

...

..."Sir!"

"Yes?"

"We've got confirmation. Sonic and Knuckles have boarded the train. It just left two minutes ago."

"Good. Excellent indeed."

_Everybody is out of the way..._


	17. The Many Layers of Truth

_The Chaos Emeralds. _

_It is a thing of immeasurable power. It grants joy to the suffering, victory to those on the verge of defeat, life to the dead...shining like a star in the hands of it's wielder, it possesses the power to turn one's thoughts into reality. It makes the impossible possible. Men honor it and worship what it can do. People believe it to be a gift from God._

_Yet what is required to make it..._

_Is the work of the Devil._

**Episode Sixteen:**

**The Many Layers of the Truth!**

**真実の多くの層****!**

Poor Sonic had not had any reprieve. He remained stuck in the tight grip of one Knuckles T. Echidna, loosely hanging, something of a scowl on his face as the echidna headed out of the train station and down the road, many people watching. "This is EMBARRASSING, man!" He groaned. "What the heck were Shadow's orders? Just tell me already, Major!"

"I don't know all the details, he just told me to grab you and meet at your home town of Kiritimati." Knuckles told him simply, finally putting him down.

Sonic dusted himself off as they continued to head down the road. "Okay, fine. Meet with who?"

"Us!"

Sonic looked up to see Heavy was sitting on the small stone wall on the right side of the road. Heavy strummed on a guitar. "_**Oh, I would walk 500 miles, and I would walk 500 more, just to be the man who walked a thousand miles to fall-down-at-your-door!"**_

"...we're not REALLY walking 1000 miles, are we?" Sonic blanched.

Elsewhere, Tails sat in the hotel room with Amy, looking at the telephone. "This is really weird. Why hasn't he called yet?"

"Knuckles might still have him in a headlock or something." Amy mused, smiling a bit.

"I don't understand anything that's happening." Tails remarked. "What is Knuckles up to?"

"Don't worry, I'll explain." King said, suddenly appearing on the bed. Amy turned and blinked a few times, gaping in surprise.

"How did you-? What the?" She stuttered.

"When did you get here?" Tails asked. "And for that matter, how'd you get in?"

"Through the window." King remarked, jabbing a thumb backwards at the open window. "It was easier than taking the stairs. Also good for my glutes." He added, hiking up his robe a bit to show off a well-oiled chest.

"...niiiice." Amy admitted. "I've never seen such good pectorals!"

"What diet are you on, pray tell?" Tails asked, taking out his notepad again.

"Well, I don't eat meat, so I have to get creative with my protein intakes. Here." King reached into his flowing jacket/robe and pulled out a small list, giving it to Tails. "Next time you get the chance, order these things from those stores in Soleanna. Tell them King sent you."

"Okay, uh..." Tails took the list. "You realize you're a criminal now, right? You're an illegal immigrant AND you escaped from a federal prison? And aided and abetted a criminal?"

"...WE'RE aiding and abetting a criminal right now by helping him hide from the police!" Amy realized, and she groaned, holding her head.

"By the way, about Sonic..." King spoke up. "You needn't worry. He's..."

...

...

...

... "_**Well I would walk a 1000 miles if I could just...see...yooooou...toniiiiiii-**_"

"Heavy, if you sing any more of that song, I'm going to have to kill you." Sonic muttered, limping across the ground. They were all stuck on camels out in the desert, moving along at an unbearably slow pace, wearing hooded outfits to protect them from the stinging, ball-busting heat of the sun that was trying to bake them like they were cookies and the desert was it's oven.

They passed by tumbleweeds, various tiny remains of buildings, but there seemed to be little in sight. Then again, Sonic was pretty sure he was about to pass out since he couldn't see more than two feet in front of him at the moment. "That bastard...making us trudge through the desert..."

"Out of curiosity, are we almost there yet?" Knuckles asked their guide, who was none other than Elise's father, David.

"It's there, off in the distance. The ruins of Babylon!" He announced, pointing.

They were greeted to quite a sight. At one point the place must have been absolutely grand. There were enormous, towering walls with the faint traces of gardens milling around. Flowers had once grown down many of the walls, and there were various strange, circular platforms scattered about, the faint remnants of lost technology left embedded in them.

There were many, many statues around, two to a door, all of various flying animals and strange, odd creatures. Some were vaguely elfin, with tiny wings and cheery smiles. Others were things with cloaks and boots and gloves that had no noses or ears. But what caught Sonic's attention was...

"AHHHHHHHH." He rested his sore butt in a large fountain, grinning broadly. The cool water felt so good on his behind. Then he accidentally leaned back too far and fell into the fountain, coughing and spluttering madly as, for some STRANGE reason, he could swear the sound of loud, vaguely ticking-like music was playing, counting down the moments until he drowned.

"...why did you bring him again?"

"It's a loooong story. Simply put, he got involved and needs to know everything." Knuckles told David as Sonic realized he could simply stand UP in the fountain and nervously blushed, stepping out.

"You know, I've read about Babylon. Mom used to read "The Jester of Babylon" to me before bed."

"Jester of Babylon?" David inquired, stroking his beard, looking very interested.

"Yes, it's an old folk tale about the one who brought Magic to our land." Sonic said. "The tale goes that this man was a lone survivor of Babylon Gardens, a beautiful, lush paradise that vanished overnight like Pompeii. Wrapped in garments like some kind of jester, he introduced the power of Magic to the country not long after it was founded." Sonic scratched his head. "Why, do you know about it?"

"Something like that. We have a tale of "The Babylonian Drifter". He was a lone survivor of Babylon who arrived in our land and mixed his arts with ours, creating Yakin Shīru. He was very, very revered. We called him "The Western Bard", for he taught all of Magic to us through song." David smiled broadly. "He was apparently quite the voice, too."

"...song, eh?" Sonic mused as they walked through the ruins of Babylon, looking around. "That's interesting."

"One question though. If these guys were so powerful and amazing, why'd they all vanish overnight?" Heavy asked of David.

"That...is a mystery." David informed them all solemnly. "We're still not sure."

It was then that Sonic saw something. A wall with a very, VERY particular design on the front. It showed off many stars in a magic circle, all pained various colors, almost glowing in the sunlight with several symbols stationed at certain points. And there was a faint trace of...something...something had once been at the top. But that top part was...gone. Almost ripped off.

Sonic frowned. There was something eerie about this entire place. As he kept walking through the ruins past empty house after empty house towards a large, stadium-like place, he felt a chill go through him. It was as if there were ghosts lingering about, trying to grab hold of him and make him continue watching...

"We're going quite a ways in, aren't we?"

"Yes, we are, but I'm sure there's a good reason." Knuckles told him as they entered the stadium.

"Hey! Sonic!" A voice called out from a seat off in the distance.

Sonic's eyes widened. He thought back to Shadow's words earlier in the week.

_"Perhaps...you should head out east. There's no big-city hustle and bustle, and lots of VERY nice girls."_

Two pairs of eyes widened in surprise. Sonic beamed. Knuckles grinned.

Wave the Swallow stood there, putting her goggles on her forehead, beaming down at them. "Heya." She said cheerily.

"You're aliiiiiive!" Knuckles cheered, rushing at her to hug her.

"AH! WAIT! YOU'RE ALL SWEATY!" Wave screeched as he "glomped" her to the ground and began hugging the heck out of her.

"Oh, I KNEW he wouldn't have really, oh thank GOD you're alive!" He remarked happily. "I'll kick Shadow's ass when I get back for all of this but thank GOD you're alive!"

"Crushing...me...you...need...Axe...body spray..." Wave managed to squeak out in between bear hugs as Sonic beamed broadly in joy.

"We couldn't keep her in Mobius. She might have been found out." Heavy said. "So we sent her out of the country."

"So Shadow knew she was innocent all along?" Sonic asked.

Heavy would have grinned if he could have. "It's a bit of a long story..."

SOME TIME EARLIER...

"Can you believe the balls of these people?" Heavy said, putting the newspaper down on Shadow's desk. "Getting that kind of "perp-walk" out of the poor girl."

"Bringing disgrace on ALL of us!" Bomb said. "This is way too showy. They're up to something."

"Oh believe me, I believe you." Shadow said. A moment later the phone rang and Shadow picked it up. "Hello? Oh, Wax! It's you! Yes, you can put Vector through. What is it?...what the?"

"Hey, lemme on the phone!" Another voice spoke up from the other end. A voice Shadow recognized.

Idea.

"Uh, Bunnie, I can't talk on this line for personal stuff. Let me call you elsewhere!" Shadow quickly said, hanging the phone up.

So he'd called Vector's temporary apartment up from the park, ironically in the same phone-booth Mighty had been shot. "So it's true? That bullet hit you?" He asked Scylla.

"Oh yeah." Scylla told him. "I've still got the hole in my head, y'know. When the wind picks up, I WHISTLE."

"...hmm. I think it's time for a change of pace. Scylla...would you like to cut loose a little?" He inquired.

"...I'm still listening, aren't I?" She asked, grinning if she could have.

And so the plan had been made. Scylla was to break into prison to break Wave out. And as for Shadow, well...

"Heavy, Bomb, get these things for me." Shadow said, handing the two pieces of paper, a "grocery list", if you will.

"Pork bone and meat...carbon...ammonia-wait...what?" Heavy exclaimed. "Uh...what's all this for?"

"I'm going to create a burnt-up corpse." Shadow commented.

"WHAT?" Bomb gasped.

"I'm just going to do a little arts and crafts." Shadow went on, heading down the park avenue with the two following behind.

"Oh, I see. But sir, once the coroner is through with the body-"

"It'll be so burned that they won't be able to make a good identification." Shadow insisted.

'What about DENTAL records?" Bomb asked.

"I've got a plan for that too." Shadow said, nodding firmly. "Trust me. Making burnt corpses...it's my specialty."

...

...

...

... Wave ran. Like the WIND. She panted and heaved, rushing through the alley, her "chicken legs" propelling her like a rocket through the air as the prisoner's chain ID on her wrist banged back and forth. She was running so fast that a burning feeling was surging up through her chest and-

She found herself moments away from the main street...with a dumpster to her right...a pile of newspapers to her left...

And Shadow the Hedgehog before her, holding up one hand, burning embers flickering around it like satellites orbiting a planet.

"Wave the Swallow..." He whispered coldly.

Something was shoved quickly out in front of her from a nearby hatch, and then...

**THA-THWOOOOOOOM.**

Wave gasped at the sight of a suddenly-toasted, roasted body that was now in front of her, and the person whom had shoved the corpse out into the alley opened up the nearby hatch. Ray the Flying Squirrel motioned for Wave to follow him through the hatch and Shadow nodded firmly, Wave nervously diving into the hatch. Shadow then quickly moved a dumpster in front of the hatch and stepped into place, waiting for Sonic to arrive.

...

...

...

... "I don't know whether to be happy or worried that Shadow's so good at keeping stuff like this hidden." Sonic admitted nervously.

"Indeed, I find myself equally worried." Knuckles remarked, frowning a bit.

"When the young prince got broken out of jail by Scylla, a deal was struck. He gave me orders to take Ms. Wave here to Soleanna." David explained, spreading his palms up.

"Okay, I will be the first to admit it...and hopefully this is the last time I do it..." Sonic took a deep breath. "Shadow...had the right idea. And I didn't. There, I said it." He folded his arms. "It's like tearin' off a band-aid."

"Speaking of Shadow, he's thinking of reeling in a string-puller that's been hiding in the shadows." Heavy added. "Scylla holds the secrets of the 5th Laboratory. And that psycho went on a big rampage not that long ago. He's "bait"...and we're sure they've sent somebody out to shut him up before he can talk..."

...

...

...

...back at Central City, Tails rubbed his chin. "The plan was ingenious! I'm impressed with Shadow's deductive reasoning and organizational thought. Pray tell, uh...did he also want Sonic out of the city so he wouldn't get involved?"

"Yes. Sonic's too much of a...well, "hot-head". He would most likely screw things up." King admitted.

"Poor Sonic." Amy remarked, shaking her head as Elise stood guard outside the room, listening in.

"Well, I helped out in exchange for Scylla telling me the secrets of his body. However he...she...IT..." King shrugged. "Told me she couldn't remember the details of what went into creating the Chaos Emeralds. Nothing on what needs to be chanted, or drawn in a seal..." He sighed. "But...luckily, he told me that YOU had a body similar to his, so I've decided to ask you!"

"...er..." Tails remarked nervously.

"If you could be so kind?" King asked politely, hands folded in his lap.

"...ohhhh." Tails moaned.

Meanwhile, the others at Babylon were looking over some drawings Knuckles had made of all the Golems, thinking about the information they had. "What are you going to do now?" Knuckles asked Sonic. "Do you still blame yourself for-"

"I committed the Greatest Sin of all. But people still worked with me...supported me. Even those who get so pissed at me sometimes, they've supported me..." Sonic murmured, thinking of Shadow for a moment. "And Miles...I promised I'd return him to his normal body. It's hard...damn hard. But all I can do is keep moving forward." Sonic decided, holding up his hand and clenching it into a fist.

"I will protect everyone I can with my power." Sonic said softly. "...and maybe it's my ego talking, thinking I can protect everyone, but I don't care. I'm going to move forward and save everyone I can."

All of those sitting around Sonic gave him approving smiles, nodding as David looked down at his watch. "Oh my. I believe we'd best get going, Wave. If we are to reach another spot of shelter in the desert before the harsh night winds blow, we must leave now."

"Should I at least tell your parents?" Knuckles asked nervously.

"Nah, they'd blab it accidentally." Wave remarked. "It's best this way. But if trouble ever arises, remember, you can always call me back." She said, saluting. "...and Sonic?" She added.

"...yeah?" Sonic wanted to know.

"Take care of yourself, okay? Don't go breaking your brother's heart by doing something as stupid as dying." Wave said with a small smile on her beak.

Meanwhile...

Vector sipped at his coffee as he tried to finish up a crossword puzzle. "Hmm. An eight letter word for "Sudden and unwelcome guest"..."

A dog barked off in the distance...

"Oh, I know! Intrud-" Vector began to write.

There was a noise behind him. He quickly whipped around, coming face to face with something he hoped he'd never see ever again. It had been, at one point, some kind of female mountain bear, with grey streaks running through it's hair and the tattered remains of a lab coat on it's body, a tattoo of a fist gripping a heart that had been freshly ripped from a chest on the bear's own chest.

Vector naturally drew his gun, but...

BANG!

The shot missed, since Scylla suddenly knocked his hand down, simultaneously blocking a strike from the bear. "Eaaaassy, croc." She told Vector. "Don't kill this one!"

A moment later a masked figure raced into the room, wearing a mask that covered his face and a black outfit to cover his body. He unloaded several bullets from a pistol at the bear, forcing it away from Scylla and Vector, eyes blazing.

And tail sticking out slightly.

"Ray? Wow, you sure can shoot." Vector complimented as the bear now nursed a very nasty-looking wound to the shoulder, Ray lowering the pistols.

"Dude! Why do you think I'm wearing a MASK? The point is for me to be incognito!" Ray shook his head. "This is why I hate people who aren't used to working in the field."

"Sorry." Vector apologized.

"You're...it can't be, but...you're..." Scylla whispered.

Suddenly the bear rushed forward and before Ray could fire, a good strike knocked one of Scylla's arms clean off, making her gasp in surprise. Luckily a quick blasting of gunfire sent the bear out the window and Ray turned to the others. "Let's take this outside."

They rushed outside the apartment, looking left, right...how odd. They were sure that the bear had-

It dropped down from above...and aimed for Ray, who's eyes widened. He tried to swing the gun up, he'd never be able to pull off a shot!

THA-WHICKA!

But a sharp, powerful knife did. It struck the bear's paw and the bear rolled away, howling in pain as Rouge, hiding in a nearby belltower, held up another knife from the many knives in her belt, grinning broadly as she adjusted her headset.

"I heard a loud noise. Is everything alright?" Shadow asked over the other end of the line.

"Oh, one of the 'customers' got grabby. So I gave him one of my specials." Rouge remarked, violet eyes narrowing as she grinned.

"My, my, you sure can be a heartbreaker, "Rosie"." Shadow remarked cheerily, calling from his private office in Central, the others in the room blissfully unaware of what he was TRULY speaking of.

"**Don't move, motherfucker.**" Ray said, holding up his gun. "There's some things I wanna ask you! We want the TRUTH!"

"It's my body." Scylla spoke up.

"WHAT?" Everyone else exclaimed, Rouge having heard it with her excellent ears.

"I'd recognize it anywhere! It WASN'T destroyed, it must have just been teleported away to another location...and now they've dumped the soul of some lab rat or something into it!" Scylla spoke up. "How existential! My body has returned to regain it's soul!"

Meanwhile, Sonic had returned to look at the wall he'd seen earlier in Babylon. "...that looks so much like a Magic Circle. Like the one I saw back at the laboratory. Hmm..." He looked at the symbols. "A dragon...traditionally, guardians of treasures. Perhaps this was a big secret...yes, it WAS a big secret...that other one's a book...this was a secret of knowledge. And the stars...this was something related to Heavenly knowledge if this IS a magic circle. Perhaps Life Magic..."

Sonic groaned. "Dang it! The top part's missing though! It's like a mystery novel missing the chapter that explains who the friggin' murderer is!"

A pipe whizzed down towards Sonic's head...

It missed. He sidestepped easily, grabbing ahold of the robot that had tried to bring it down onto his head and slamming the robot into the ground. "Nice try." Sonic told him. "What do you want? I ain't got no money, I'll tell you that right..."

He then noticed something. There was a faint glow from the chest compartment. Sonic quickly turned the robot over, opening it up, seeing...a Life Ring.

"A Shanazaran?" Sonic gasped, eyes widening as the robot stood up...others emerging, no longer hiding within the ruins of Bablyon.

"Hello." Another robot spoke up, moving forward, holding up a lumberjack-esque axe. "Would you mind being our hostage so we can take our land back from the state?" It asked darkly.

"The military wouldn't take action over a stupid kid like me." Sonic remarked, rolling his eyes.

"Oh really? It was the shooting of a single child that trigged the Shanazaran Campaign." The "Lumberjack" remarked coldly. "You never know what might be the catalyst that changes history."

"That's enough." A female voice called out.

They all turned to see a rather decrepit-looking robot advancing through the crowd. She appeared to be some kind of robotic hedgehog, with a fairly pink body. For a moment, Sonic thought of Amy...if Amy had not chosen to style her locks down, that is. "This is disgraceful, attacking a child."

"Our apologies, Mark I." The group apologized.

"Gee, thanks. But why are you standing up for me?" Sonic asked. "I thought that you guys thought all of US guys were scum."

"I know myself not all your kind are bad. Many of us have only seen one side of you. I saw another. Two people from Mobius, skilled _Zoe _users, saved my life ring." Mark I opened up her chest compartment, showing off her ring. True, at one point it had clearly been almost cracked in half, but it looked as though somebody had almost seamlessly welded it back to normal.

"It's true, several of us here were saved by that couple." The Lumberjack admitted nervously.

"Wait...two people from Mobius..._Zoe_ users...a couple...were they a cat and a hedgehog?" Sonic asked, eyes widening.

"Yes, why?" The female robot inquired.

"Were their names Blaze and Silver Rose?"

Her eyes went wide. "...yes. Yes, they were! Are you a friend of theirs?"

"Their daughter is my childhood friend." Sonic said. "Until they left for the campaign, I grew up with them treating my skinned knees and bruises from sliding down the banister." He told them.

"They saved the lives of many of us Shanazarans." Another robot spoke up, rubbing an arm that looked like it bad been ripped into three pieces at one point. "Even when the fighting became terrible, they stayed with us, healing both military soldiers and us civilians. They were...very...very brave."

"...how did they die?" Sonic asked nervously.

"A patient they treated, he..." The female robot said softly.

"_You're alright?" The feline inquired, her eyes filled with concern as the white-furred hedgehog knelt by the other robot. "Your life ring was severely damaged, but I've done my part. My pure flames have returned it's glow." Blaze said kindly._

_"Uuuuugggghhh..."_

"_Oh, that one from before, the one "he" brought in. He's actually waking up!" Silver announced, rushing to that robot's side as Blaze grabbed ahold of a box of grease for another patient, bringing it over to his bedside. "Sir, are you alright?"_

_"...I...what...what happened? Where's...what's..." _

_The robot slowly sat up, rubbing it's head with it's claws. How had he sur-_

_He then felt something where he ought to have felt nothing. His chest._

_They had..._

_Rage. _

"He lost it. He...he tore into their..." Mark I trailed off sadly.

"...WHO?" Sonic growled, clenching his fists. "Who was he?"

"We didn't see his face...but we saw the symbol on his shoulders...it looked like a Greek letter...Omega."

Sonic's eyes widened...and then turned to harsh, furious slits.

_You_..._YOU..._

...

...

...

..."That's really your body?" Ray asked, eyes wide in surprise as he looked at the bear across the street with Vector and Scylla. "You were a bear?"

"Heh-heh-heh." Scylla held up her fists. "To think, I'll be able to beat up my very own body with my own two hands! This is such a psychological TRIP, huh? Hee-hee-hee!"

"Don't you, I dunno, wanna get back IN there?" Vector inquired.

"You kiddin'? Look at it. The hair's going, my limbs look gaunt...look how easily Squirrel Boy wounded it!" Scylla complained as the bear panted before them. "It's dying. When a body doesn't have a soul that's truly it's own, it's going to fight against it...eventually reject it. And then it'll give out. I want to go out on my OWN terms." Scylla told them.

"What a kook." Rouge thought to herself. "An absolute-"

A shudder filled the bat's frame. A horrifying, frightening sense that something behind her wanted to chew her up, spit her out, then chew her up again and SWALLOW her. She stiffened slightly as the tegu lizard's eyes widened in eagerness. It's jaws opened wide, hungry...

BUDDA-BUDDA-BUDDA-BUDDA!

Meanwhile, not so far away...

"So, and this is all supposed to be a secret..." King mused. "According to Shadow, Scylla is being used to smoke out the military bunch that was connected to that secret laboratory. They'll wish to keep him quiet by giving him a very bad case of the DEAD." He sighed. "The minute they send out somebody to slay him, the trap shall be sprung."

"The 5th Laboratory..." Tails murmured. "...I need to go. I might be able to find out who killed Mighty."

"Wait, uh, please, can't you tell me about your body now?" King requested suddenly.

"I'll tell you once I get back." Tails told him kindly. "And I'll be back soon." He added, looking over at Amy.

"Just come back...just come back alive!" Amy insisted, wrapping her arms around him, hugging him tightly.

Rouge gasped, one eye clenched with pain, the other wide open in disgust. She'd cut one of this freak's eyes wide open and sliced through the beast's skull with another. By all rights, the dam thing's brains out to have been leaking out onto the floor like runny eggs...

"That hurt." The burning-skinned tegu lizard announced, it's Cheshire Cat smile going from cheek to cheek. "But are you done yet? Cuz Ignorance would like to eat you now." It announced, as Rouge saw a stream of ones and zeroes flicker across it's remaining eye.

Wait. If it was a GUY...and it talked like one...

She struck.

It hit home.

"GUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" **Ignorance **howled, moaning in pain, nursing it's crotch region as Bomb rushed up into the clock tower, tossing something at Rouge.

"Catch!" He called out. She caught it in her hands, a baseball bat as Bomb held up his gloved hand, a small, circular black bomb appearing. He tossed it at her and she struck with the bat.

The bomb whizzed forth, right into the Bio-Lizard's outstretched, surprised mouth as it stood near the outlook Rouge had been firing knives from.

THUKKA-BWOOOOOM!

It was knocked straight into the outlook...it's huge arms blocking it from being knocked completely outside. It's face and throat region were blown open, meaty, burning chunks dripping down, but it grinned with a toothy, horrid smirk as it looked up at them. "Yer all outta aaaammooooo aren'tcha?" It asked happily, the wounds healing before their eyes. "This ain't an action movie, ya' know, you ain't got no bullets left!"

THWOOOOOOOOOM!

A burning torrent of fiery death spiraled out with a snap of Shadow's fingers as he suddenly stood at the top of the stairway to the clock tower. The fire launched the tegu lizard out of the clock tower like a weight machine being tossed out the window by a furious wife, outraged over how much she'd put on over Christmas.

"Phew. That was close." Shadow remarked. "Made it just in time."

"You...IDIOT!" Rouge yelled in his face. "You put yourself in real danger! You were supposed to keep out of this! Now they could know you're directly involved! We TOLD you not to come to our aid, are you some kind of moron? You stupid, stupid..." She rolled her eyes, holding her head in one hand. "...ugggghhhh."

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry." Shadow apologized, rubbing his head.

"Geez, who WAS that guy?" Bomb asked, looking out of the overlook down at a roof far away at the limp body of the thing they'd attacked. He then turned to his left and gasped. "Uh oh! Colonel! The target, that bear...he's making a run for it!"

"Let's get going then." Rouge insisted. "And...thank you, sir."

"Save it for later." Shadow protested, perhaps a bit too quickly as they raced down the stairs and into a car, with Ray hopping inside.

"Waaaaait!"

They saw Tails rushing along the alley, flying towards them. "Let me come with you!" He begged. "This has to do with Mighty's death, doesn't it?"

Shadow hesitated, then nodded. "Alright. Jump in." He told Tails.

Tails climbed inside as Rouge took the wheel, and they followed Scylla, who continued to chase after her old body.

"I wonder if that monstrous lizard will appear again." Rouge murmured as she frowned darkly, trying to keep her eyes on the road, her mind's eye continuing to see that horrid thing from before. "It was unlike anything I'd seen. I stabbed it in it's head, and yet it's wounds healed before my eyes..."

"Wait. Rouge, it's eyes. Were they a string of ones and zeroes?" Tails asked.

Rouge thought back. "Yes, yes they were."

"It was a Golem." Tails realized.

"A WHAT?" Shadow gasped.

"A WHAT?" Rouge exclaimed, almost driving right into Scylla.

"OY! Watch the road!" Scylla howled.

"There's no such thing as a Golem! It's IMPOSSIBLE to make one" Shadow growled.

"My brother and I met a Golem with the title "Selfishness". His name to the public was Michael White."

Shadow and Rouge's eyes went wide.

"He told me "If you have power, than ANYTHING is possible". And magic is essentially power." Tails told them solemnly as Ray looked startled. "Look at ME. Look at Scylla."

Shadow's eyes narrowed darkly. "...what was White like?" He inquired.

"He had very powerful regenerative abilities. He had half his head cut off, but he regenerated moments after...you probably don't believe me, do you." Tails asked nervously.

"After what I saw, I have no choice but TO believe you." Rouge stated. "And this means fat boy probably isn't dead."

...

...

...

...the chase lasted quite a while. By the time they reached their destination, night had fallen. One by one their heads peeked out from behind a corner, looking at the building that Scylla's old body had run into.

"The 3rd Laboratory?...this is definitely something fishy." Shadow muttered.

"Will no leaders go untainted?" Miles mused.

"_**IIIII waaaant myyyy body back, body back, body back, body back!" **_Scylla sang out, rushing into the laboratory, immediately punching out two guards that stupidly stood in her way. _**"So IIIIII can rip out it's ribs!"**_

"Is this a good thing or a BAD thing?" Ray asked.

"I have an idea." Shadow mused.

"Move it!" Scylla snapped at the dozens of researchers in the hallways. "I'm tryin' to find a different flesh bag! Move!" She snarled, rushing through the halls.

Shadow and the others moved in. "Attention! We are in pursuit of a dangerous criminal! All remaining personnel, evacuate IMMEDIATELY!"

One of the guards approached. "Are you sure you'll be alright, sir?"

"Yes. Leave her capture to us, and have guards seal off all exits once the personnel are out. Don't have them move for anybody but US." Shadow added.

They followed Scylla's trail down to a stairway leading into the basement and headed down, Tails frowning. "Why is it always the basement?" He muttered.

Unfortunately, the path then split into two. So, naturally, they pulled a Scooby Doo.

"I don't think this is a good idea." Ray admitted to Shadow as they moved through the dark recesses of the basement hallways, past blown-open vents, decayed-looking doors and cracked walls. "Splitting up NEVER works." He said, taking his mask off as they entered a room.

"Hmm." Shadow examined the materials of the room. The instruments looked archaic and...terrifying. "If they were doing experiments in here...they certainly weren't legitimate ones. Is that a medieval FLAIL I see?"

"Welly-welly-well! What have we here?" A voice rang out, distinctly feminine. "Ray, how rude of you to stand me up on our date! I know you said work came first, but this is ridiculous."

"Louise?" Ray gasped, looking at the eggplant-colored hedgehog that was now standing at the opposite doorway, taking out a pair of contacts. "What are you doing in-"

"Her eyes." Shadow whispered as they clearly saw her eyes...clearly saw the stream of ones and zeroes. "...she's..."

"A Golem. Sorry to give you the run around, but hey, can you blame him? I mean, look at these." "Louise" said, holding up the things on her chest. "They coulda suckered in ANYBODY."

"It's true. They could have." Ray admitted shamefully. "And it worked so well on me!"

"I, Sonia, Golem of **Flippancy**, can charm ANYONE I want." The woman said proudly.

"Please tell me you didn't go blabbing to her." Shadow asked, holding up a pistol.

"I never spoke about work, believe me!" Ray insisted.

"True, true." Flippancy remarked. "Believe me though, he talks WAY too much about "Captain Kangaroo"...what's with the long face, Colonel?" She inquired, looking at Shadow.

"Do you know who Mighty the Armadillo is?" Shadow said dangerously.

"Oh, yes, I got the good fortune to meet him once. I'm just sorry I wasn't the one to strike the last blow." She said with a smirk.

BANG!

A shot to her knee made her gasp in pain as Ray's eyes widened and Shadow snarled. "On your knees! Tell us everything!"

"Yeah, how about...not?" Sonia laughed, removing her gloved hand from her knee, as they watched the bloody wound quickly patch itself up, the blood dissolving. "Trying to force a girl on her knees? Such a misogynist-"

BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG!

Shadow emptied the rest of the clip into her and Sonia, aka Flippancy, staggered back. "GAAAAH...ha...ha-ha-ha-ha!" She laughed as the wounds healed before their eyes. "No mercy, huh? Just what I'd expect from the Master Butcher of the Shanazaran Campaign!" She sneered, licking some blood off her gloved hands.

"So you ARE a Golem..." Ray murmured. "Without a doubt..."

"Well aren't YOU well-informed. Guess what? You get a prize!" She announced, stroking back her hair...and they watched as it suddenly spiked out, almost becoming metallic in it's sheen, a vaguely hissing noise coming from it as if it was...alive. It was disturbing, to say the least, almost as disturbing as the horrifying smirk on her face. "All of us Golems have neat little abilities. And, of course...there's THIS."

Locks of hair shot out, then buried into her chest, pulling back flesh and revealing...the shining form of a purplish/pink chaos emerald. "Chaos energy requires a spark of life to change form into a sentient being...and when one places an emotion into a chunk of chaos such as a chaos emerald, it acts as a spark of life...creating us Golems." She informed them. "We who hold the Chaos Emeralds as our "hearts"...that is our definition. Neat, eh?"

The thought of innocent people losing their souls to ensure this horrid thing had life made Shadow almost vomit on the spot. He raised the gun again. "MONSTER!" He snarled.

"Now that's just plain rude." Flippancy commented. "We have feelings, you know. We have the love we have towards our creator, our daddy dearest. Our comradeship towards our fellow Golems. We're, well...HUMAN." She said with a bit of a surprisingly thoughtful-looking smile.

"If you're telling us all these important truths, you plan on killing us." Shadow reasoned.

"You ARE a smart one." Flippancy laughed. "Such a shame. You had so much potential."

SCHA-SLICE! Her hair shot out, knocking the gun from his hands. Shadow quickly held up his glove to fire off a flame at her, but...

THA-WOOOOOSH!

A pipe above exploded, and water sprayed everywhere. "You try to fire a flame, it'll get doused on the spot." Flippancy told him with a smirk.

So our brave men did what was understandable. They shrieked like little girls and ran out of the room, ducking to the side of the doorway just in time to avoid being skewered. Sitting outside of the room, Ray panted, turning to Shadow. "Now what?"

"She's not as smart as she thinks she is. Water contains hydrogen and oxygen. And since my specialty is producing fire magic, it's just a matter of concentration..." Shadow whispered, a big grin on his face.

He snapped his fingers, and a burning ember shot up and into the water. Flippancy's eyes widened.

KRA-BOOOOOOM!

The explosion rocked the entire building. Tails and Rouge stopped in the hallway for a moment, eyes wide in shock...and then they nodded at each other, continuing to run, hoping to find Scylla.

...

...

...

...Ray and Shadow re-entered the room. It had been turned into a burnt-out wreck now. Everything was fried.

"Dang. I guess Flippancy's new name is going to have to be ASH-Ley, eh?" Ray quipped.

"As a superior officer to a lower-level, I must say this. You repeat a joke like that and I am, in fact, going to have to have you shot." Shadow informed Ray, frowning deeply. He sniffed the air. "But it definitely seems like she was cooked. I've smelled my share of burnt bodies."

Ray sniffed the air. "...kind of...reminds me of McDonald's food."

"That'll be the burnt fat." Shadow remarked.

"EW." Ray groaned.

"But we can't count her out just yet, their kind apparently regenerate quickly so stay sharp." Shadow insisted.

SHA-SCHLING!

Two thick locks of hair as sharp as daggers rushed up from a large pile of clutter and ash in the floor, spearing through Ray's midsection. He gasped in horror, eyes widening, and fell down to the floor off the locks of hair as Shadow screamed out. "RAY!"

Flippancy rose up from the floor, blood oozing off her body, chunks of flesh slowly re-patching themselves together around her exposed chaos emerald, that smell almost dripping off her body like the blood. "I admit, that was...annoying. You actually made me die a horrid, horrid death." She grinned darkly, her hair slowly snaking off, as if eager to grab his face and rip it away. "I'm gonna return the favor."

"Shut up!" Shadow snarled, firing off his pistol, opening up a harsh chest wound and showing off the chaos emerald as she was knocked down.

"Oh, please! When do guns EVER work-" She began.

His hand plunged into her chest, ripping the emerald out, quickly shut her up.

Her eyes went wide and she let out a howl that was all too human, a howl quickly silenced as her body began to dissolve, slowly turning into a rusty-colored shell matted with blood. Bit by bit she dissolved away into dust that faded into the air as Shadow raced to Ray's side with the Emerald still dripping chunks of what had been her body.

"Hold on, Ray." Shadow spoke softly. "I might not know much about healing magic, but with this chaos emerald, I might be able to do some good."

Suddenly there was a sound like metal expanding outward, like some kind of robotic balloon was being puffed up. Shadow turned to see a horrifying sight. Flippancy's body had reformed around the Chaos Emerald, and half her face and torso, along with two spindly arms, were sticking out, a leering face grinning into his own horrified one, her eyes a solid, steady stream of ones and zeroes, not even any pupils visible.

"I thought a gentleman's not supposed to plunge his hand into a lady's chest." She remarked, giggling madly.

Her hair shot forward.

SHA-SCLICE!

Meanwhile, outside the building, Dr. Eggman himself pulled up to the front gate. The guards all saluted eagerly. "Your autocract-ness, sir!"

"I heard there was an intruder and that Colonel Shadow was intercepting. So..." Dr. Eggman adjusted his gloves. "I decided I'd like to go help him."

"Are...are you sure you'll be alright, sir?"

"Oh yes...I'll be fine on my own." Dr. Eggman said with a dark grin.

Shadow's eyes went wide, his lifeblood dripping onto the floor as Flippancy sneered, her body now fully regenerated. "I told you, stupid. The Chaos Emerald's my core. You didn't really think just ripping it out of the shell I was in would stop me so easily? It's not like it's a battery and I'm a remote." She admonished, tossing him to the floor, ripping off the rings from his wrists and crushing them.

Shadow simply moaned, the blood continuing to flow out.

"Such a waste. You were supposed to be one of our precious sacrifices. Ah well. Life's a bitch, and then you die watching your fellow men grow cold before you do." Flippancy commented cheerily, waving as she left the room, a definite spring in her step.

"Dammit...Ray...Ray, speak to me!" Shadow called out towards the still form of Ray. "C'mon! You're not...to die...before I do...C'MONNN! RAAAAAY!"

Flippancy's smile was the work of demons.

...

...

...

...they stood before an enormous doorway in a large, almost pristine white room. Before them was an enormous double door with a helix before it. At the center of this helix was a brilliant, radiantly-painted shining halo of some kind. The helix chain was made up of words, which Tails could understand quite well.

"The antagonism between science and religion, about which we hear so much, appears to me purely factitious, fabricated on the one hand by short-sighted religious people, who confound ... theology with religion; and on the other by equally short-sighted scientific people who forget that science takes for its province only that which is susceptible of clear intellectual comprehension." Tails read off the golden, spiraling text.

Scylla sat near her old body, which appeared to be unconscious...or worse. Rouge looked the scene over, looking rather surprised...and disgusted at the foul smell the body was giving off.

"Look how decayed my old form's gotten. The simple truth is this: it's just plain impossible to permanently stick a soul into a body that doesn't belong to it. They'll repel each other like magnets." Scylla spoke solemnly.

Tails's eyes widened. If this was true...then he, a soul within a patchwork body...

There was no guarantee that he would be able to remain on this Earth until their ultimate quest was complete. He was a time bomb. He could "go" at any moment, in theory...

Flippancy entered the white room, a visible frown on her features as Scylla laughed a little at her entrance. "Well! Ms. Sonia! Or should I say "Flippancy"...what a nice surprise."

"Why the heck are you working with Shadow?" Flippancy snapped.

"It seemed like fun. And besides...I'd been wanting to get my hands on YOU for a while." Scylla added with a dark tone as Rouge and Tails took up battle positions. "From the moment I met you, you were putting me down, insulting me and Charybdis for screwing up and gaining the bodies we were cursed with, belittling me...leaving me out in the friggin' rain to RUST one time!" Scylla snapped.

"And you, "Raggedy Andy"?" Flippancy asked of Tails. "What brings YOU here?" She looked over at Rouge. "This is hardly a place to take a girl on your first date. Ugh. It's annoying. To think I'll have to kill TWO sacrifices in one night." She said, rolling her eyes.

"Two?" Tails asked, looking disturbed.

"Yes, you and a certain other "handsome gentleman"." Flippancy commented. "I think red looked GOOD on him." She added, smirking.

"Enough chit-chat! A little less conversation, a little more action please!" Scylla laughed, rushing forward, spinning through the air, her remaining fist held high, eager to pound into flesh.

Well, this went about as well as you'd expect.

Rouge and Tails watched as what was left of Scylla fell to the ground in pieces and Flippancy took a comb to her hair. "Jesus CHRIST. The shit I put up with. Now..." She turned to Rouge. "Okay Lieutenant. Time to send you after your superiors..."

Rouge's eyes widened. After her superior-

_No._

"Wait...you said...you already had to kill a sacrifice...you don't mean...you don't mean..." Rouge began.

Flippancy grinned broadly.

"YOU **BITCH**!" Rouge howled, and before Flippancy could strike, Rouge had rushed forward, drawing two knives from her boots. They carved and cut into Flippancy's flesh as easily as hot knives through butter, the bat intent on turning this golem into slices so thin you couldn't measure them.

_No, no, no, no, nooooo..._

She struck again and again and again, stabbing and slicking and cutting, tears brimming in her eyes, snarling and screaming, stab wounds littering Flippancy's body like somebody had stuck her in a garbage can full of broken glass and shaken her up. But at last Rouge staggered back, panting, heaving, tears trailing down her cheeks, pushing a path through her fur.

"...you done yet?" Flippancy asked calmly.

Rouge took in several harsh breaths...but she could not bear it anymore. She finally collapsed on her knees, covering her head in her hands, sobbing as Flippancy's lip became a taunt line, her brow furrowed as Tails looked down on her in deep sorrow.

"So foolish and weak. Your kind are such pitiable creatures." Flippancy spoke solemnly. She then saw Tails step in front of her. "...what do you think you're doing?" She asked, frowning.

Tails held up one hand. THWOMP! A spear materialized and Flippancy's eyes widened. "You DID see the...wow. Oh yes, you'd be a great sacrificial candidate."

"Rouge, run." Tails insisted.

"Dammit, Tails, get out of here." Rouge murmured through the tears."

"NO."

"Tails, I'm demanding you GO! Please, you have to!" Rouge sobbed.

"Why are you standing in my way?" Flippancy insisted. "The woman wants to die."

"I keep losing people...people I had the potential to save!" Tails snapped at her. "Maria. Dulcy. Mighty. Toni. I'm tired of people dying right in front of me!" Tails protested. "I WILL protect everyone I can!" He exclaimed.

"Well said, Miles Prower!" A voice called out.

Rouge's eyes widened. Flippancy turned her head. Tails immediately held his hands up and a glowing, pulsing shield shot out, covering him, the body of Scylla's old form, and Rouge.

Just in time too, because a moment later an enormous wall of fire shot through the air, striking into Flippancy, making her cry out in horrified pain, falling to the ground.

"Well look at me. I finally got you to your knees." Shadow spoke up, standing proudly in the doorway.

"How...how did you..." She gasped out.

"I burnt Ray and my own wounds shut. Hurt like hell. Almost passed out. But I made it." Shadow informed her, holding up his fist...

A ring carved in blood made visible...a burning scar all-too-clear for Flippancy to see.

"Creating a magic ring from your own blood-"

THA-WHOOOOOM!

Another burning, horrifying torrent of flame shot forward.

"You enjoy coming back from the dead, eh?" Shadow asked coldly, his eyes like steel as he fired over and over at Flippancy's frail form as smoke spiraled around Shadow slowly, almost delicately.

With each new blast of fire, the flesh on her frame began melting off of Flippancy, chunks of bone being burnt black as the Chaos Emerald within her frame began to crack, her banshee—like screams rising into the air.

"Well then I'll have to keep killing you until it **STICKS**!" Shadow snarled.

Again...again...again...

Finally Flippancy launched herself at Shadow, letting out a furious, snarling wail, flame drizzling off her body like she had just emerged from a shower that was raining fire, not water. She got within an inch of Shadow...

But no further. A final funnel of flame enveloped her and she let out a horrid screech...

The smoke and flame cleared away...and Tails and Rouge saw that her body was finally dissolving away into tiny whisps of dust that were vanishing into the air.

"You...beat me..." Flippancy gasped. "YOU...beat...ME..." She murmured. She then smirked. "Fine...this ain't so bad...kind of fitting, really...you do have the reputation of "lady-killer"..."

Her body fell backwards as more and more of her began to dissolve. "But your eyes...so full of conviction...how long will it be...before they're clouded white with despair?" She giggled as the chaos emerald fell out of her chest, dissolving before their eyes.

Shadow immediately fell down, gasping as Rouge and Tails raced to his side. Dr. Eggman, watching from the corner of the hallway, smiled slightly, fading into the dark recesses of the halls.

"Thank you for...protecting...my dear subordinate." Shadow told Tails with a small smile. "Rouge, how are your wounds?"

"Sir, really, worry about yourself!" Rouge insisted. "You...you wonderful IDIOT!" She laughed gently.

...

...

...

...Scylla's head lay on the ground, and she sighed slightly, the others having left the room. "Geez. Barely survived that one. Look at me. My arm is over there, my leg is over THERE, I can't see my chest..." She turned her head slightly. "Oh. Here it is." She said, knocking her head against it. "Oh, I'm quite beside myself, aren't I?" She sighed. "This is embarrassing. What am I supposed to do?"

It was then that the body...which she had been so sure was totally DEAD...crawled up to the head, reaching out. "What? AHH! No, wait, don't touch me! Don't pick me up!"

There was a sudden flash of light. The robotic head's eyes went cold. The bear's eyes became a bright shade of blue. For a brief moment a tear trailed down it's cheek, and then...her body hit the floor...

Peace.

...

...

...

...meanwhile, Sonic had gone back to the town of Kiritimati with Heavy and Knuckles, deciding to spend some time there for a little while. He headed down the road, past a long fence, aiming to visit Tiara's house.

He looked down at the ground for what seemed to be many hours, lost in thought over Golems, Mighty, Jesters and dolls with souls attached.

What brought him out of his thoughts was the sound of somebody playing a familiar song...on a flute...

His head shot up. A figure on the fence. A purple, two-pronged cap that had dark purple rings...

_It couldn't be..._

A red and pink vest with a sparkling red crystal on the front as a clasp and gold trimmings.

_He couldn't...__here__?_

Purple pants that appeared to be quite tight and smooth, and white gloves...pink boots with purple tips...

_It CAN'T be..._

He turned his head...revealing big, large, cat-like eyes that were the color of the sky looking solemnly at Sonic.

"_NiGHTS_..." Sonic growled.


	18. Revealing the Secret of Death!

_The Chaos Emeralds. _

_It is a thing of immeasurable power. It grants joy to the suffering, victory to those on the verge of defeat, life to the dead...shining like a star in the hands of it's wielder, it possesses the power to turn one's thoughts into reality. It makes the impossible possible. Men honor it and worship what it can do. People believe it to be a gift from God._

_Yet what is required to make it..._

_Is the work of the Devil._

**Episode Seventeen:**

**Revealing the Secret of Death!**

**死の秘密が明らかに！**

"What do you mean, Tiara?" Tails asked as he leaned against the phone booth, looking confused. "Sonic hasn't arrived yet?"

"Yet? What are...did something happen? I had no idea he was coming!" Tiara said over the other end. "But there is SOMETHING you should know." She added. "Sonic isn't here, but..."

"But what?"

"...it's..."

...

...

...

...Sonic stood there, looking intently at the figure before him, who had put down his flute and was staring at him, green eyes into blue. This jester-esque being that had just walked out the door on them...on their MOTHER...and who had never looked back. It was because he'd not been around...if he had, than Aleena would never have-

"NIIIIIIIIIIGHTS..." Sonic snarled furiously.

"Olgilvie?" NiGHTS asked quietly. "My, have you grown "bigger"?"

"Why are you phrasing the question like THAT?" Sonic snapped angrily, a tic mark appearing on his forehead.

"I heard in Central City you'd gained a reputation. The "Shortest Metallurgist Ever"?" NiGHTS inquired.

"It's...YOUNGEST!" Sonic snapped.

"And I heard from Tiara that you tried to bring someone back from the dead." NiGHTS added solemnly. That wiped the snarling, furious expression from Sonic's face, replacing it with a hardened scowl.

"...you bastard. Showing up here and now. The freakin' BALLS you have!" Sonic thought oud loud.

"Bastard? You should have a bit more respect, I AM your dad." NiGHTS said, looking offended, one hand placed on his chest.

"I respect your _chutzpah_, that's all!" Sonic snarled.

"...why did Aleena die?" NiGHTS asked, turning his head to look at the grave of Aleena Maurice, his wife.

"WHY? You ask me WHY?" Sonic told him furiously, almost foaming at the mouth. "You have no idea what you put mom through when you left!"

"Just a little more, Aleena, I promise...a little more time." NiGHTS murmured, continuing to gaze at the grave.

"Are you even LISTENING?" Sonic snapped. "You came back too late and now have no place to stay! The house was turned into ash! What the hell did you come back for?"

""You burnt down the whole house?" NiGHTS asked, looking in confusion at the horizon, in the direction of the house, a look of deep unhappiness on his face. "...the wallpaper we'd picked out together...the chairs we sat in for meals...my desk...our wedding photos..."

"We decided we didn't want to ever turn away from the path we'd chosen. If we had somewhere to duck out to it would be like getting tempted. We wanted to make sure nothing would break our resolve, so we burnt it down." Sonic told him, arms folded.

"That's not true."NiGHTS said.

Sonic's eyes shot up slightly. Now HE sounded confused. "**Huh**?"

"You did it so you wouldn't have to look at your biggest mistake." NiGHTS said quietly.

Sonic felt a chill going up through his body. "Y-you're wrong!"

"It's just like a kid that wets his bed and then hides the sheets." NiGHTS remarked as Sonic's eyes widened for a moment, horrified.

_No, no, this couldn't be true. _

"You ran away."

"Bastard!" Sonic snapped, walking off down the road, heading for Tiara's house as NiGHTS sighed softly.

"...ahhh. It's like looking into a mirror." He mused. "He's so much like me."

...

...

...

...that night, Sonic slept in one of Tiara's guest rooms, curled up in a ball, mumbling incoherently in his slumber. A tiny patch of light trailed out across the room as NiGHTS slowly opened up the door, looking down at him.

He could remember.

He could remember when he'd been able to hold Sonic in the crook of his arm...seeing their smiling faces looking eagerly up at him...

He reached out, wanting to touch Sonic's head, wanting to just pet him. But then he slowly pulled it back, leaving the room.

Sonic's eyes quickly shot open.

"You haven't changed." Tiara said softly, laughing a little as she looked over an old photograph scrapbook. It showed her in her youner days, a proud young girl working hard for a living at a diner. There she was with her best customer...with NiGHTS sitting in a booth, playing with his ice cream sundae. He didn't look a day older, though Tiara was at least 10 years younger in the photo than she was now.

"...no. Guess I haven't, have I?" he remarked, fiddling with his mashed potatoes, making a "face" out of them and smiling.

"Why didn't you come back sooner? You got any idea how long Aleena was waiting for you?" She asked. "If they'd had their father around, they wouldn't have thought about making their mother! To think, those poor kids had to see their mom die TWICE..." She whispered sadly, taking a drag of a cigarette.

NiGHTS stiffened a bit, looking like he was biting his tongue. Then he spoke up. "Tiara. What my sons did. The end result of what happened that night. I HAVE to know. Was it...her?" He asked softly.

"Eh?" Tiara tilted her head to the side. "I told you, didn't I? It was such a messy body. I don't know if, even it had lived, it would have been able to act like Aleena."

"That's not what I mean." NiGHTS said, hands folding in his lap, his voice practically a whisper. "I mean the eye color. Hair color...were they Aleena's?"

Tiara felt a horrifying, shuddering chill go through her and she slammed her gloved hands onto the table. "What's all this about? What are you saying? That it wasn't even Aleena they brought back? That they brought back something totally different and lost their bodies because of it?"

Listening from the other end of the door, Sonic found his knees quaking, his body shivering.

_No. No, it couldn't be. It couldn't fucking BE._

...

...

...

... "So let me see if I have this right. You don't need to eat or sleep? You can continue moving even if, say, your head got cut off?"

"As long as the seal that Chaos put on me is unharmed, than yes." Tails told King as they sat in his hotel bedroom. "My dad would find it interesting...by the way, what about YOUR parents? What are they like?" Tails asked. "Okay I get that, technically, you've got no "dad", but what's your mother and the Metatron like?"

"My mother, Nola, is a devoted, kindly woman. She's always tried to do what's best for others and for me. As for the Metatron, well...I've..." King shrugged. "I have yet to actually have a real conversation with him."

"Oh, gee. Sorry." Tails remarked.

"It's fine, really. He has a lot to deal with. The Kingdom of Soleanna contains 500 million people. That's a lot of people to protect and care for. If one was immortal, you could have all the time in the world to protect them. And you...you really are immortal, aren't you?" King asked, looking in awe as Elise sat near him, across from Amy.

"No...I'm not. This body's like a time bomb." Tails murmured. "A body is inherently incompatible with another being's soul. If you try to force one into it, it undergoes rejection. It could be tomorrow...it could be a year from now...but eventually..." He held his hands up and let out a long "Pooooooof".

Amy's eyes widened in shock. "Wh-what?" She gasped. "We've got to get you back to your original body as soon as possible!" She realized.

"Oh my." King murmured, folding his arms. "That IS...wait. Hold on." He rubbed his chin. "Could you not transfer your soul onto something else and go on living?" He asked of Tails. "You don't feel pain, you don't need to eat, you could just keep finding "dolls" to inhabit if you tried to replicate the seal-"

"You don't understand ANYTHING!" Amy snapped furiously, stomping out of the room, leaving King confused.

"Wh-what did I say?" He asked nervously.

"Try to think about it." Elise spoke up suddenly. "A body that CAN'T sleep...or eat...or...or feel..." She realized.

King's eyes widened and then a look of deep, remorseful sorrow flickered over his features as Tails spoke up. "When I found out I couldn't sleep, I...I just sat in my room. The moon reflecting off my button eyes as I curled up. I couldn't dream...I couldn't do anything but sit. Alone." He whispered. "Before, me and Sonic, we'd...we'd talk about what Heaven might be like. We'd laugh about what God did in his spare time. We'd tell jokes...maybe sneak some snacks in...the nights were short, but...they were fun. Now...now one night...is awfully long..." Tails whispered.

"...but you'll...you'll get your original body back!...right?" King asked nervously. "..._right_?"

...

...

...

..._ "Give my brother back!" Sonic demanded of Chaos, shaking the watery being back and forth. "He's the only true family I have! Give it BACK!"_

_**"Give it back? Why do you blame me?"**__ Chaos inquired softly, shaking his head. __**"You were the one who chose to act like God. You bit into an apple that wasn't yours to taste. YOU'RE the one who put your brother in that body..." **_

"_Yes, you're just like me." Gerald Robotnik said, patting Maria/Dulcy's fused chaos form on the head as he grinned devilishly. "_

_He held a claw up to Sonic's face. __**"YOU give it back."**__ He said coldly. __**"In fact...why don't you give half? There's somebody else who has a problem with a lack of body."**_

"_Sonic...mommy's very, very, disappointed in you." Aleena cooed, leaning in, claws wrapping around his neck, beginning to saw through and-_

Sonic awoke with a start, sweat pouring down his features as he panted heavily, sitting up in his bed. "Sonic!" Tiara called out. "Your father's leaving now!"

Sonic sat up, rubbing the sweat of his brow, panting a few times as NiGHTS looked over a clipboard on the wall which showed off photo after photo. "...can I take this?" He asked, hands feeling a particular photograph. "This is the only one with all four of us in the picture."

"Yes, by all means." Tiara said cheerily as NiGHTS headed for the door, the photograph tucked away in his vest pocket.

"There's something I need to tell you before I go." He added. "...Ther'es some very bad shit about to go down in Mobius. You've got to go. Preferably, NOW." He said, turning to gaze intently at her.

"Shit happens all the time." Tiara remarked. "And besides...there's a few people who use this place as somewhere to come home to."

"...alright." He said quietly. "...but I warned you." He added nervously, heading down the road. "...I'm sorry, Tiara. I won't be able to eat your sundaes anymore..."

...

...

...

...that afternoon, as the clouds began to roll through the sky, slowly gathering into a thick blanket of grey that smothered all the sun's rays, Sonic the Hedgehog climbed to the top of the hill where his old home had been, Tiara following after. A shovel resting on his back, a bucket of water in Tiara's hands, they stood at the top of the hill, taking in the silence...the stillness of the calm before the storm.

"...listen." Tiara spoke up. "...you really wanna dig that...that thing up?" She asked softly, eyes softening.

Sonic shivered slightly, clutching at his chest. It was like somebody was taking a hammer, swinging it into him over and over. "No, I...need to do this. I GOTTA." He insisted, holding the shovel up. "...it's gonna rain. Let's hurry this up." He said, digging into the ground. Her body was around ther somewhere...

They digged and dug and digged and dug, and slowly but surely, the ground before them became mud as the heavens opened up, pouring down onto them as if Nature itself was practically screaming for them to stop.

"Oh jeez, it's raining. We're gonna smell like wet dog." Tiara complained.

"BLUAAAGGHHHKKK!" Sonic threw up at a nearby tree, heaving the contents of his latest lunch onto the ground as Tiara's eyes widened.

"Kid, really, you shouldn't be doing this. Let's pack it in." Tiara reasoned, shaking her head as she rubbed his shoulders.

"No!" Sonic managed to gasp out. "I can't...move forward until I'm SURE!" He wiped his mouth off with the back of his hand. "Besides...that BASTARD was right. I shouldn't be running away. I CAN'T be running away..."

He continued to dig deeper and deeper into the ground. They tried spot after spot, Sonic thrusting the shovel into the soil like a man possessed, his eyes burning with a fire that befitted HIM the title of "Burning Metallurgist", not Shadow. No, he would not be using magic to do this. No, this was something only his hands could accomplish...

CLUNK.

He hit a pine box. His eyes widened and one gloved hand dug down into the earth, carefully feeling for the opening lock to the box. He opened it up, his hand reaching down and picking out some hair. It was muddy...covered in dirt and grime.

He quickly raced over to the water-filled bucket, plunging it inside and washing it clean as Tiara watched on, his shoulders moving slowly up and down as he breathed deeply.

And then his voice came out of his mouth, practically a whisper. "Tiara...my mom's hair...was dark purple, right?"

He turned around slowly, his eyes wide like saucers and almost bloodshot, his body shivering, looking a hundred years older.

"_This is...__GREEN__."_ His voice whispered out.

...

...

...

...they dug up the rest of the body, looking over the bones. Tiara closely examined them all, eyes narrowed intently as she retracted her measuring tool. "The femur's too long...and the shape of the pelvis...it's a male. There's...there's not even a single trace of your mother in here." Tiara murmured, looking absolutely horrified.

Sonic stared down at the corpse's remains for what seemed to be a long, long time. But then...he began to chuckle. And then to laugh. His head reeled back, and he roared with laughter, one hand held over his eyes. "HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA! It's..." he managed to get out. "Ha-ha-ha...so that's it...that's the real truth. It wasn't her body and it wasn't her soul. It was like trying to catch a train that stopped running years ago." He murmured. "We were never meant to bring her back. **Never**." He realized, laughing a little.

"Olgilvie Maurice, get a hold of yourself!" Tiara snapped.

"It's fine...really." Sonic managed to say quietly. "For years, this...this was a symbol of despair. Of our failure. But now...it's become a symbol of hope." He told her firmly. "Looking at this, I know...I KNOW...that I can return my brother to normal. But first thing's first. I...wanna make a proper grave." He told her.

"What're you gonna write?" She wanted to know.

"...I don't know." He murmured.

Well, in the end, he didn't put anything on the grave. But he still considered it a person. A person he had created...and yet also killed. Ensouled or not, it had been alive. And so he buried the body of his "brother" with a simple inscribing of a Hedgehog's face.

"...there's somebody I need to call. Somebody else who needs to know about what we know." Sonic told Tiara.

RIIIIING!

RIIIIING!

"Hellooooo? Nahuatl residence! Tikal speaking." Tikal answered cheerily, picking up the phone. "What can I do you-"

BLUUURK! Some blood dribbled out of her mouth as Sonic tried to keep his own mouth from letting stuff leak out of it again. "Sorry. What can I do you for?"

"It's me, Sonic." Sonic spoke from the other end.

"Oh, Sonic, how are you?" Tikal inquired. "Where are you calling from?"

"Kiritimati. Listen, Tikal...I need to ask you something important. But it might be...hurtful. So if you don't' want to answer...then you can hang up." Sonic told her.

"Just tell me." Tikal insisted. "What's wrong? You sound so...serious."

"Do you remember when you tried to bring back the child that you lost?"

"...yes. I cannot ever forget. Why?"

"...the person we brought back...it wasn't truly our mother. It wasn't even a female."

"What are you trying to s-" Suddenly it hit her as Sonic's next words came out of the receiver, biting and harsh.

"Was what you brought back truly your child?" 

Tikal's eyes slowly widened, growing larger, her mouth opening in an almost silent scream. She let out a small, almost strangled gasp and then...

SLAM. She hung up on the spot, and began to cry as Sonic, biting his lip, lowered the phone slowly onto the receiver again.

CLICK.

...

...

...

... "So...my son and his wife did well." Tiara said, standing before the graves of Silver and Blaze. "...he did his mommy proud." She whispered.

"...did...did NiGHTS say where he was going?" Sonic mumbled suddenly, wishing he could stick his hands into pants pockets.

"No, he didn't say-oh. OH." Tiara slapped her forehead. "Dammit! I KNEW I forgot something! Next time you see him, could you tell him this message?" She asked.

"What's that?" Sonic asked.

_Aleena sat in her bed, looking out the window, hands folded together. "Tiara, listen, I really hate to ask you for this kind of favor, but can you tell NiGHTS something for if he ever comes back?"_

_"Tell him yourself. You're gonna get better." Tiara insisted, arms folded, frowning a bit in stubbornness. "You're gonna BEAT this-"_

_"Tell him I wasn't able to keep my promise...and I'm sorry."_

"Promise? What kind of promise?" Sonic wanted to know.

"Dunno. Didn't ask." Tiara said, lighting a cigarette. "He might be a mediocre wage-earner and semi-skilled flute player, but he IS your dad."

"BARELY." Sonic muttered. "But I'll tell him the message. I'll pass it along. And then I'll introduce him to my fist. REPEATEDLY."

"But first, you should head back to Central City. Tails and Amy are waiting for you." Tiara insisted.

SOME TIME LATER...

"Wait...all that happened while I was gone?" Sonic asked, eyes widening as he sat on the couch in the hotel room with King pouring a cup of tea for Elise and Amy to enjoy as Tails sat across from him in a plushy chair. "The things I miss..." He murmured.

"Yeah, it's a lot." Tails admitted.

"And this new information...the rejection of a body with an unfamiliar soul..." Sonic thought out loud. "But I said I'd get you back to normal and I'm GONNA." He swore, smacking his fist into his palm.

"You have a look in your eyes." King said suddenly, his golden eyes narrowing intently. "...you've done something. Something very big."

"...I dug up the thing that...we...we "made" that night." Sonic told Tails quietly. "When we tried to bring mom back."

"You WHAT?" Tails practically screamed as Amy gasped. King frowned a bit as Elise looked ill.

"But it wasn't Mom." Sonic said quickly. "We checked. It was actually the body of...a male hedgehog...with green hair." He said quietly.

Tails gaped at this, eyes wide. "Then...then wait...that..." He stuttered. "You did all that alone? Why didn't you call-"

"Look, there's good news. We can get your body back." Sonic told him. "But before we talk about that, Amy...I wanna ask you something." Sonic said nervously.

"Yeah?"

"Remember back when we were like 6?" Sonic spoke up nervously. "And we got into this big fight over whom you'd marry and I stormed off before I could hear who you'd pick?" He wanted to know.

"Yeah, I remember." Amy said, noticing a very visible redness to Sonic's cheeks.

"And Miles told me that she'd turned him down when he asked her. So I wanna ask you both...why?"

Amy looked at Tails, then at Sonic.

"I told him I don't like "curves"."

"AAAAAAGGGGHHHH!" Sonic sobbed, holding his head in his hands and shaking it back and forth. "Don't judge a man based solely on his weight!"

"Can we get back to the "get my body back" question?" Tails asked.

"Right, uh...your soul hasn't passed on. Your body's "out there", somewhere...the same way Scylla's body apparently was put somewhere else." He told his brother and the others. "Look at it this way. You don't have a "brain"...yet you have memories. That seal in you is just a magic symbol keeping your soul to that doll."

"Yes, the form of a person is made up of several things." King spoke up. "Your soul, that which gives you life, your heart, that which gives you emotions, a conscience...those are clearly contained in the spiritual self that inhabits that doll. But your brain...your body...your MEMORIES..." His eyes widened.

Wait...then this meant...

Tails suddenly got it. "Yes, you're right...one's spirit connects the mind and the body. The fact that my spirit is still here...this means that my mind and body haven't lost their connection. My body might have been "taken", but it didn't DIE! Mom is "dead" because her soul passed on. There was nothing waiting to be brought back. And when I reached out through the gate at what I THOUGHT was Mom, I really saw...myself!"

"Yes!" Sonic laughed. "Yes, that's it! Your physical frame's there, at the door! Still...I'm..." He hung his head. "I'm sorry. We didn't bring back anything CLOSE to Mom AND I turned you into a time bom-"

RIIIIIIING!

RIIIIIIING!

The phone to the hotel room rang and Sonic went to pick it up. "Hello?"

"Sonic." Tikal spoke up quietly. "...we...checked the remains. The child...it...it wasn't...the gender was different...the...the eye color was different from the eyes my child had when it came into the world only to be unbreathing...the size of the body...different..." She whispered from the other end. "...and...I want to thank you."

"...I..." Sonic murmured.

"Thank you so much." She said, a tear running down her cheek as she put the receiver down.

She hadn't killed her child a second time. She HADN'T.

Sonic looked over at Tails and saw that he was shaking. "...Sonic, I...when...I came back from the Other Side, and I saw...I saw IT, I thought...I thought I'd killed Mom! I thought that it was because of ME that she ended up that way...but...but it WASN'T her..." He said tearfully. "...it wasn't her..."

"We'll get your body back." Sonic promised, holding his fist up. "No matter how long it takes. We'll show Chaos just how powerful we foolish people who don't know our own place can BE!"

Amy blinked a few times, mouth opening slightly. For a brief moment, she'd thought...

_"He seems so...so BIG now..."_ She thought

...

...

...

... "You...IDIOT!" Shadow yelled angrily from the hospital bed he was lying in, his men stationed all around him, Rouge's eyes closed in shame. "I can't believe you fell for the word of that...that BITCH." He said, shaking his head. "You never trust people like that! Don't..." He sighed. "Don't do it again."

"You got it, sir." Rouge said, nodding firmly, saluting.

"I'm going to give you another chance. Commit yourself to the cause." Shadow said dramatically, clenching his fist.

"You're one to talk, Colonel." Ray said from the next bed over. "What kind of commander just waltzes on into the Lion's Den with a plan the equivalent of "shoot first, ask questions later"?"

"SHUT UP!" Shadow snapped. "...and whya re we in the same room? And..." His eyes narrowed. "...why haven't they come to finish us off...we killed one of their own..."

"You...IDIOT!" Metal Sonic snarled furiously, shaking Eggman back and forth as they stood on some steps at their secret headquarters. "Why didn't you finish him off?"

"He burnt her to death...Sonia...she's...she..." The Bio-Lizard whimpered, head hung, tears dribbling down his reptilian cheeks and burning smoke into the air.

"Why would you allow that inferior to get away with killing one of our own? He went too far!" Metal Sonic hissed furiously.

"_Soniaaaa..._" The Bio-Lizard whimpered, his body shaking.

"We had him on a leash and you let him escape the backyard like the damn dog he was!" Metal Sonic furiously told Eggman, wanting to rip the old man's throat out. "He exceeded his parameters! He should-"

"We can make use of him." Dr. Eggman explained calmly, a small smile spreading over his features. "Him and the doorway. Don't worry about him. He's MY responsibility, I assure you."

"I just thought of something." Tails realized. "My body's over at the Other Side! It hasn't been getting any nutrition! It's gonna be...GOD..." he turned a little green.

Sonic pictured a very gaunt, smelly Tails trying to hug him and Amy and turned a bit green himself, trying to keep some vomit down.

"Wait...wait." Tails remarked. "...both of us used your blood to try and do that spell...this is just an idea, but..." He rubbed his chin. "Isn't there a chance that our spirits got their wires crossed when we were taken over there? A possibility that my body and yours on the other end are connected?"

"You're right! I mean, look at me!" Sonic said, slamming his fist into his palm. "For my age, I'm kinda fa...kinda..." He sweatdropped, groaning. "...fat..." He murmured.

"He ADMITTED it." Amy gasped. "Quick, call Ripley's!" She laughed. "But to be honest, that sounds silly. I mean, the idea that you're eating for Tails's body? And growing for him? Look, the reason you're not growing or getting any thinner is you don't eat your broccoli!"

"Not the broccoli thing again!" Sonic snapped.

"It's good for your heart!" Amy told him. "Along with milk! If you didn't eat so many chili dogs..."

"Amyyyyyyyy!"

...

...

...

...eventually, Sonic and Tails had arrived at the same room that Shadow and Ray were sharing, with Bomb bringing a large map for Shadow to look over.

"Based upon the number of footsteps I took, I calculated that that big door in the Third Laboratory's basement was right there." Rouge said, pointing at a spot on the map Bomb had brought.

"Wait. That place." Sonic gasped, eyes widening. "Right above it is...Dr. Eggman's home! And so close to Central City's Command Center.."

"Wait. I just thought of something! If Dr. Eggman is connected to the Golems, why did he try to slay **Selfishness** and his friends?"

"Why did he try to just kill them without interrogating any of them? That's REALLY suspicious." Shadow murmured, eyes narrowing. "...hmm. Whatever the case, the enemy's really high up in the military. **Metal Brotherhood...**" He turned to the boys. "...be careful."

With that, the boys left the room as Shadow leaned back in his bed. "Heh. Looks like we caught quite a big fish. Might almost be too big to reel in."

"We're still ready to do whatever work you need." Heavy said as he, Bomb, Vector and Rouge all saluted.

"Good. Because I plan to run you RAGGED." Shadow remarked with a bit of a wild grin, folding his arms.

"I'm afraid you'll have to count me out, sir." Ray said softly.

"...what?" Shadow asked, turning his head as the others looked at him.

"...the doctors didn't tell you because I told them not to. But...I can't feel my legs." He whispered softly.

Shadow's eyes went wider than sauce pans. The others drew in sharp breaths.

"I'm sorry. I'm...retiring." Ray told Shadow sadly, looking down and away from Shadow's horrified eyes.

...

...

...

... "Hey." Dr. Chuck Thorndyke announced as he sat in the waiting room with Shadow, who was going through a "Kant" philosophy book. "Did you and your men have a good talk?"

"...yes. We did." Shadow said as Rouge turned away to let the two men speak alone. "Why are you here?"

"My back." Chuck said, stretching his arms. "We doctors always gotta stand for a looooong time. It's killer on my back."

"...hmm."

"...when I heard it was YOU who burnt that "thing"...something clicked." Chuck said, taking out a small toothpick and using it to pick his teeth. "You were...you ARE...up to something."

"You knew that yet you still went ahead with saying that 'thing' was Wave." Shadow said quietly back. "...thanks. I knew I could rely upon you, dearest war buddy."

"We're not "war buddies"." Chuck said softly. "We're "accomplices"." Chuck said coldly. "Partners in crime." He muttered, folding his arms. "You burnt shit. I'd autopsy them. Shanazar was just one big test site, wasn't it?"

Silence for a few minutes. For quite some time. Then Shadow sighed.

"What happened to your man? The one you were talking to?" Chuck asked gently.

"Spinal injury. He can't move his legs." Shadow murmured. "So he's retiring. His family runs a general store. He can, at least, answer the phone until his request for a _Zoe_ or _Bios _healer is processed. But that can take years."

Dr. Chuck was quiet. He just nodded.

"He can't get any sort of prosthetic limbs for him either. The nerves to the lower half of his body were disconnected." Shadow added.

"...well...I might be able to help you." Chuck said, passing Shadow a small piece of paper, writing some things down on it. "Have this doctor make a visit. He's got good hands, a devoted sense of right and wrong..."

Chuck then walked off as Shadow looked the note over, he and Rouge's eyes widening.

Apparently Dr. Big also had a Chaos Emerald...

"...Rouge. Get Heavy in here. I've got a job for him." Shadow said, grinning broadly. "He's going on a little trip to a nice, scenic fishing town."


	19. Walking Along Occam's Razor

_The Chaos Emeralds. _

_It is a thing of immeasurable power. It grants joy to the suffering, victory to those on the verge of defeat, life to the dead...shining like a star in the hands of it's wielder, it possesses the power to turn one's thoughts into reality. It makes the impossible possible. Men honor it and worship what it can do. People believe it to be a gift from God._

_Yet what is required to make it..._

_Is the work of the Devil._

**Episode Eighteen:**

**Walking Along Occam's Razor!**

オッカムの剃刀に沿って歩く!

In the field of science and medicine, there is a term. It's called Occam's Razor. It boils down to this: based on evidence that you've collected, the simplest solution that the evidence presents is the correct one.

So what does this have to do with our Metallurgic heroes? Well...

"Okay, what do we honestly know?" Tails mused as he scribbled down notes onto a notepad, he and Sonic sitting in the hotel room, the ceiling fan slowly twirling around overhead. "For starters, the Third Laboratory?"

"I went back and checked it out." Sonic said. "Once I showed them I was a State Metallurgist they ALL fell in line and practically kissed my big blue butt." He remarked with a grin. "...but the door to the basement. GONE."

Tails frowned a bit. "Metallurgy?"

"Oh yeah." Sonic said, nodding. "This is a big cover-up, alright."

"Okay, and what do we know about the Golems?"

"Their eyes. Way past fucked up." Sonic remarked.

"Right."

"Really fast healers."

"Right."

"Apparently they all have abilities unique to each of them too. **Selfishness** had a super form, **Flippancy** could do things with her hair..."

"And?"

Sonic rubbed his chin, pacing back and forth, back and forth on the carpet. "...and...they need us alive, apparently, as "sacrifices". The idea of killing off one of us was disgusting to that girl-wait." Sonic's eyes widened. He stopped dead in his tracks. "Killing off an important sacrifice..."

"Yes, I've got an idea." Tails said, leaning back in the couch and grinning broadly. "Occam's Razor, brother of mine. They can't have us dying. Therefore, what better way to draw them out...by putting ourselves in grave danger?" He cheerily told Sonic.

"Wait." Sonic frowned a bit. "No offense, but how are we going to do that exactly? We need an outside threat so it doesn't look like we set things up to draw them out. They can't know they're being baited..."

"True, true." Tails admitted. "...okay, let's think about this. Who hates your guts?"

Sonic scratched his head, then headed over to the table where he kept his bag, pulling out a big, thick notepad. "Hmm. Let's see..." He looked through it. "No, no, she's been dead two years, I should cross her off...he's too close to me, it would never work...I'd NEVER want to call on that one for help..." He mumbled.

At that moment, the door received some harsh, powerful knocking, and Sonic and Tails looked at each other, blinking in surprise. They then shrugged, turning and opening up the door to find Knuckles standing there, a look of deep concern on his face.

"I've got some bad news." He said quietly, holding up a sheet of paper. "This official memorandum came out this morning...it has to do with somebody you and I know all-too-well." He murmured.

Sonic and Tails read the memo over, eyes widening.

Omega was back in the city. He'd been seen by several civilians and had attacked at least 9 guards, and 3 State Metallurgists had been...well...they were in chunks. This WAS terrible news...

And yet, also great news. They now had an excuse to go out and get into grave danger. They'd go out, make a showy demonstration of Metallurgic skill, and reel in two big fish at once!

The plan laid out, Sonic turned to Tails. "There's something you should know about Omega. When I was out at Babylon, I met with some people who had seen Blaze and Silver die." He spoke softly.

Tails's eyes widened slowly as Sonic explained the story. He then sat down on the couch, putting his doll hands in his lap, eyes unblinking. "...have you told Amy?" He asked at last.

"...I can't stand the idea of making her cry." Sonic murmured, looking away and to the side, gritting his teeth, hands digging into themselves.

"Yeah. This isn't something we should just dump on her." Tails admitted. "...but we have to face Omega again. We have to find out the truth..."

"And lure out the Golems." Sonic added, grinning.

"But to be honest, this isn't enough." Tails told him. "It took that robot all of five minutes to beat us both. Yes, I've gained Metallurgic power, but even so..."

Sonic nervously sweatdropped. "Er...well...I've gotten stronger too...and we'll know what to expect...and...and..."

"And even if the Golems DID show up, how would we CATCH them? They're practically indestructible!" Tails added, frowning deeply.

"ARGH! This is givin' me a headache!" Sonic moaned, rubbing his head.

"Then how about I assist you?" A voice called out.

The brothers turned to see King and Elise sitting in, as usual, the windowsill. "I believe the appropriate term here is "Wassaaaaaap"." King remarked cheerily.

"Did I just hear you mention "indestructible"? As in...immortal?" Elise inquired.

"There is a **DOOR**." Tails mumbled, shaking his head.

...

...

...

... "If these Golems are involved, then I'd be happy to assist you." King told them all. "After all, the more friends you have, the better, right? Besides, Elise, David and I are from Soleanna. We might not know the art of reading the rhythm in the Earth, but we do have the skill of sensing souls." He informed them.

"Oh, really?" Tails remarked, looking intrigued.

"Yes." King said, nodding firmly. He closed his eyes, furrowing his brow slightly.

"Well, can you show-" Sonic began.

"There are three birds outside of the window." King informed them, folding his arms.

"Well, fine, but it's kind of early in the morning, it's not that unexpected that there would be-"

"Morning Doves. All female." King added. "...and they're all arguing."

Tails blinked and carefully walked over to the window, slowly opening up the window and looking at the sight of three Morning Doves that were all angrily floating around in the air, pecking at each other and shouting. "Damn. He IS good." He told Sonic.

"Duck out from the window quickly, the boyfriend they are fighting over-"

PLOP.

"...is about to come nearby."

Tails groaned and slowly brought his head back in, heading to the bathroom. "Man, this is gonna STAAAAAIN." He mumbled, disgusting white gloop dripping off his head.

"...you're serious about this?" Sonic asked, frowning a bit, raising a non-existent eyebrow as Tails cleaned off his head in the bathroom.

"The fate of my people is at stake." King said. "The possibility of Immortality is not just something I'm interested in for my own benefit." He spoke solemnly, golden eyes glittering. "I want to protect them all."

Sonic looked deep into his eyes, green into gold, for what seemed to be many, many hours. Then he grinned. "Okay, you got yourself a deal! Just don't go runnin' off with those Golems, alright?"

"Of course not! I do owe you for a meal, after all." King remarked, waving a bill in the air.

"...a meal?" Sonic nervously asked, taking the bill out of King's hand. "When did you eat a meal using..."

He then looked it over. "..._room...service_?"

"Well, Tails was out fighting, and you were out in the desert, and we were kind of hungry so we put it on your tab..." King told him. "Thank you for treating us." He added, bowing his head.

"Dear God, look at this! _It's more than I was paid last Friday!"_ Sonic sobbed.

"For a **vegetarian**, you eat like a **PIG**!" Tails gasped at the sight of the bill.

"Uh...we'd best get going then." King said quickly, nervously, diving out the window with Elise following after in a move that would have made Jackie Chan proud.

"YOU **MOOCHER**!" Sonic roared out, shaking his fist out at the darkness of the night beyond.

**"SHUT UP!"** Amy screeched, kicking down their door, holding her Piko-Piko hammer up threateningly, her eyes alit with fire. **"It's 5 in the freakin' morning and I need my freakin' BEAUTY SLEEP!"  
**  
"Oops. Sorry." Sonic and Tails apologized.

"You leave in the morning to take the train to Westside, right?" Sonic inquired.

"Yes. Hence the "beauty sleep" part." Amy said, giving them looks.

Sonic then thought back to how easily Omega had crushed the magic rings around his hand and pictured the robot doing something similar again.

"_SAY UNCLE!"_

_"UNCLLLLE!"_

_"__SAY UNCLE__!"_

_"UUUUNNNCCLLLLEEE!"_

"...er...uh...Ames...how about...you stay just a BIT longer in Central?" Sonic remarked with a nervous grin. "See the lovely lakes...take in the sights...visit the zoo with all those nice animals like the moose! I mean, I could damage my arm! Or even destroy it or...some..." He saw Amy's expression as hardening like a rock. "...thing..."

Her gaze was so foul it could have peeled paint. "I haven't have my intelligence be this badly insulted since somebody asked me to read "Eclipse"!" She hissed, holding up her hammer.

**PIKO-POWER!**

Sonic was now deeply embedded in the wall, groaning and moaning in pain as Amy twirled her hammer. "GOD! You two!...ugh." She shook her head. "...don't do anything too dangerous." She murmured.

Meanwhile...

Heavy knocked on the door to Big's quaint little home. "Shave-and-a-hair-cut...two-bits!"

...nothing.

"Doctor? Doctor, doctor! Gimme the news! You in there?"

Still nothing. Then an ordinary person walked by. "Oh, you've come back?" That man asked Heavy.

"Eh? BACK?" Heavy remarked, confused.

"Weren't you just here a moment ago? In a military uniform?" The man inquired.

Had Heavy been an organic being, his blood would have run cold. Instead he gasped in horror and quickly burst down the door.

The home of Big the Cat, country doctor, was in shambles. The entire place had been ransacked. There were desks and chairs overturned, the lamp was broken, and books were scattered all around the floor. "Oh no." Heavy murmured. "...oh NO."

...

...

...

... "YOU IDIOT!" A roar went out.

A car had crashed into a hot dog cart and the vendor was shaking his fist at the owner as people stood nearby, blinking in surprise. "How could you not notice the big sign that read "HOT DOG STAND"?" The owner, a pig, snapped.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." The ostrich said, apologizing by bowing it's long neck down over and over.

"Hey!" A dramatic voice rang out. The crowd turned to see somebody standing atop a roof, looking triumphant and heroic. "You look like you could use some help."

A ringed set of hands shot up.

THA-BWOOOOM!

The hot-dog stand's sign was transformed before everyone's eyes into a blinking neon marvel of engineering, with a high-tech heater for the hot dogs and with the car that had crashed completely repaired as Sonic the Hedgehog clapped his hands free of imaginary dust.

"Who's that guy?"

"Who's that guy?"

"Where can I get one?"

"The name's Sonic! Sonic the Hedgehog!" Sonic said, jabbing his thumb at himself. "**The Blue Blur,** at your service!"

"Oh sir, thank you so much! How much do we owe you for this?" The ostrich inquired.

Sonic grinned. "Nuttin'."

"Nuttin'?"

"Nuttin'."

"Hmm. Uh...sir..." A woman spoke up, holding up a Ming vase. "I was on my way to bring this to the charity store. I...kinda broke it, but...if you could fix it?" She asked nervously, holding the vase up.

A snap of the fingers. POOF!

"No problem!"

A man needed his cane repaired.

POOF!

"He did my legs! HE FIXED MY LEGS!"

A house that was half-torn down by a fallen tree? No problem! A cat in a tree? No problem! Turning that cat into the handsomest man the owner had ever met? No problem!

"Baby..." The now anthro cat asked it's former owner. "Ain't you sorry you had me fixed?"

"Did you hear?" Marine inquired as she sat in the alley with Nack looking over his gun, twirling it around on one finger. "The Blue Blur himself has been performing good deeds all around town! Ohhh, I wish I could have been there to see them..." Marine said, a dreamy look in her eyes.

"Did his picture appear in the paper?" Omega inquired, picking up a newspaper she'd brought, looking through it.

"Nah, which is too bad, really...unless, you know, he gets pan face." She said, shrugging. "Poor mate."

"Oh, yeah, pan face, that's awful." Nack admitted.

"You're welcome, you're welcome, really, I don't mind!" Sonic insisted as he walked past the dozens of adoring fans he was quickly gaining, a visible blush on his cheeks.

"Well we've never counted "humility" as one of your virtues." Tails laughed as he sipped a diet coke, the two of them sitting at an outside diner that Sonic had just done window repair at. For free, naturally. "Word of you is spreading all over town. You've turned into one heck of a good Samaritan!"

BEEP-BEEP!

They turned their heads to see none other than Shadow and Rouge in a private car. "We need to talk." Shadow announced.

...

...

...

...the four of them were now in an alley, away from the many crowds of admirers. "I heard that you sent Heavy to Dr. Big, but...he was already gone when...geez." Sonic held his head, shaking it. "That's..."

"They must been cleaning up all their "loose ends". Hopefully he isn't dead." Shadow murmured as they stood outside the car, arms folded.

"You DID hear about Omega, yes?" Rouge inquired.

"Yes, we WANT him to find us. We wanna fight him again." Sonic insisted.

Shadow gave him a look, frowning a bit. "I suspected as much. It was the simplest and obvious explanation. Have you forgotten what happened the LAST time you fought him, you big, blue IDIOT?"

"Oh, you're just upset because the last time YOU fought him you had all the effectiveness of a wet match, ya faker!" Sonic remarked cheerily, grinning like a little devil.

"Shut iiiiit!" Shadow snarled, a tic mark appearing on his forehead, clenching his fist. "It's bright and sunny today!"

"You wanna fight him? Here's your chance." Rouge said, holding up one of her throwing knives.

They turned to see Omega standing in the alley, a look of eager anticipation glimmering in it's red eyes, it's claws twitching eagerly, ready to tear. "What's with that look, Shadow?" Sonic wisecracked. "It ain't raining, but you're alright dripping."

"Rouge, on my order, I want you to perforate that-" Shadow began.

"No, wait." Tails whispered quickly. "Don't!"

"Why the hell NOT?" Rouge snapped, looking rather peeved.

"We wanna make like Shadow here and do a bit of fishin'." Sonic said with a grin as Omega slammed his claws into the ground, sending a wave of dark energy surging forward. Tails flicked one hand up, and a swirling blast of light energy shot out, canceling the attack as Sonic leapt through the air, feet flying outward, forcing Omega back slightly. The two began to dance around, Sonic slicing and punching with his feet and hands as Omega rushed out of the way.

"Brother's using Omega to lure the Golems out. If he dies, they'll be absolutely furious at losing an important sacrifice." Tails explained.

"I see." Shadow said, nodding. "Fine, I get it, but what if the police force shoots him before any Golems show up?" He wanted to know.

Tails grinned. "Well...you can do something about that, right?"

"YOU giving orders to ME?" Shadow laughed. "You sure do got spunk. Fine! Let's do this."

He and Rouge raced off as Tails jumped at Omega, slamming his own fist into the ground along with his brother as two burning-hot blasts of wind and fire energy rushed towards Omega, who spun backwards, avoiding their attack as King and Elise sat atop the roof, eagerly waiting for their chance to get moving.

"Look at them." King said, nodding and smiling in delight. "He rushes forward like an absolute fool, he and his dear brother...and yet advances so quickly."

"He's a brave one, isn't he?" Elise said, smiling. "I really admire that."

"Hmm...but the Golems sure are taking a while..." King remarked, frowning slightly. "What are they doing, I wonder? Drinking tea?" He mused with a small smile.

Elsewhere, Shadow the Hedgehog was on the phone, calling up the Provost Marshall's office...with a voice synthesizer chip embedded in the phone. "Who SAYS science doesn't bring anything to the table?" He wondered as he made the call. "This is Sector 3! We're currently engaging Omega and request IMMEDIATE backup-hey...hey, what are you do-AAAAA-"

He then shut the phone off as Rouge grinned, getting ready to make a call of her own. "And the Oscar goes to..." She remarked with a laugh, turning her own phone on, the voice coming out the other end of the line not truly her own. "This is Sector 5! Help us! Omega is...AAAA!"

"What in the name of Kentucky Fried Monkey Ass is going on?" Jet the Hawk groaned as he slammed the phone down. He was temporarily taking over control of the Provost Marshall's office whilst Bruce Banana Loboto was still in the hospital for "Extreme Testicular Torsion". "Omega's appeared in eighteen different places? Can he freakin' TELEPORT or something now?"

Dr. Eggman, who was listening from outside, narrowed his eyes behind his goggles, and slipped out of the window, unseen, cracking his knuckles as he put his gloves on, walking past a bush.

"**Ignorance?**" He asked calmly.

"I can SMEEEELLL him!" The Bio-Lizard whispered. "The robot that reeks of dark blood! Omegaaaa!"

King and Elise stiffened. "Did you...**feel** that?" King whispered, his golden eyes widening like saucers.

"Yes." She whispered back, nodding eagerly. "It felt like a thousand different people moving all at once...the Golems. It MUST be them." She said, getting into a fighting position as she and King leapt off the roof, heading in the direction of the horrible presence they were feeling.

"We've been waiting to fight you again for a long time..." Sonic said, he and Tails now on opposite ends of Omega, their fists clenched tightly. "Especially since I heard what I did from those people at Babylon..."

"HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!" A cop yelled out, holding up a Smith and Wesson, aiming it at Omega.

"Ah, don't!" Tails yelled, quickly pushing him out of the line of fire, making him drop the gun. "You'll hit my brother! Go, go before he turns you into a meat paddy!"

"One way! Or another! I'm gonna getcha!" The Bio-Lizard sang out, leaping from roof to roof, a stupid, giddy smile on his face as he belted out the WORST rendition of "One Way or Another" in the history of the Universe. "I'm gonna getcha-getcha-getcha-get-"

THWA-THWOMP.

A harsh, powerful kick to the face sent him flying through the air and into the bell of a church. He hit it with a GA-GOOOOOONG as King nervously crossed his chest. "Forgive me, Lord!" He nervously called out, leaping into the air, his scimitar raised high.

The Bio-Lizard looked up stupidly, it's mouth gaping. "What-the-f-"

Before his next word made the conversation PG-13, King sliced his muzzle off and it fell to the ground like a rotten piece of meat. The Bio-Lizard grabbed it's face, eyes wide as pain rippled through it. "Boy, you are QUITE an unusual being. Please, tell me, how many souls are in you exactly?" King asked.

"MMMMMMM!"

"...well, when your face grows back, I mean, would you tell me?" King asked, nervously sweat-dropping.

"That huuuuuuurt! What're you tryin' ta do? Kill me?" The Bio-Lizard asked as it's muzzle slowly regrew itself.

"Well...kinda." Elise remarked apologetically, shrugging slightly. "Please die now." She asked, pulling up her knife.

"Welly-welly-WELL! Isn't THIS interesting! People that can sense a other's mere presence through souls? And here I thought only Ignorance had a monopoly on tracking down people. Is there anything people from the Far East CAN'T do?" Dr. Eggman spoke up, getting their attention as he looked up from the alley he was in at the anthro serpent and the human. "Oops. I apologize. I was almost sounding like Racism for a moment."

"The head autocrat of the empire himself?" King remarked, looking confused. "Sir, we'd really rather you didn't get involved in this fight, we can defeat this thing on...wait." He frowned a bit. "...why do you speak like you know this being personally?" He asked, his eyes narrowing to slits.

"You're pretty quick on the uptake. Let's see if your body's just as quick." Dr. Eggman said. "I'll start with her." He said, rushing at almost inhumane speed towards Elise...

INHUMANE...

_Oh no. _

"Elise, quick, he's one of-" King yelled out, his eyes widening in absolute horror.

**SLASH!**

"**ELIIIIIISE!" **King screamed, tears brimming in his eyes.

Elise's form hit the ground like a porcelain doll, blood dripping out from one arm as she panted, slowly getting back up as Eggman held one energy-sparkling glove up, an intrigued look on his features. "You parried just in time." He remarked, looking over at the cut-in-half knife that lay near her. "If you hadn't held it up fast enough, your head would be gone instead of just that lil' cut to your arm."

"Can I eat them?" The Bio-Lizard asked. "Or would they be too high in fat?"

"Well, I know snake doesn't taste like chicken." Dr. Eggman began. "But go ahead and enjoy the girl."

"Woohoo! I'm gonna get to eat ou-" The thing began, leaping off the roof and-

SCHA-SHLIK!

The top part of it's head and hands came flying off, cut clean from the rest of it's body. It's brain was deposited to the side of it's now-deadweight corpse and sizzled in the sun as Eggman "hmmphed" in interest, King withdrawing the scimitar, lifting Elise up gently, holding her bridal-style. "Stay with me, Elise." He whispered, eyes filled with deep concern.

She didn't cry. Good soldier, she was a good, **good** soldier.

"Do you REALLY think I am going to let you escape from me?" Eggman snapped, rushing forward, his goggles glinting.

King's scimitar slashed and sliced, dodging the oncoming blows that Eggman's metallic gloves rained down at him like a heavy downpour of wrath. "What the?" The autocrat remarked, his eyes widening in surprise behind the goggles as he found his blows being blocked over and over, the ringing of metal against metal echoing in the air. "You can anticipate my attacks as...AHHH. You are no stranger to fighting either."

"We are to be as innocent as doves but wise as serpents." King quoted from the Bible, eyes glinting like cold golden bullion.

"Well, I don't go to church that often." Eggman said with a bit of a sneer.

"Your left leg's making you favor your right side, turning your left side into a bit of a blind spot!" King commented as his scimitar forced Eggman back a few feet, eyes narrowing. "I imagine, Golem, that age has caught up with you and you're in need of a few repairs?"

"As I said, you are quick upon the uptake...but you forget. I'm not ALONE."

"BATTER-UP!" The Bio-Lizard announced, swinging it's tail.

THA-THWOOOM!

King and Elise were sent sailing through the air and into a nearby abandoned gun factory. King managed to shield Elise's body from the brunt of the damage and coughed as he carefully stood back up, dust filling the room he was in as Eggman and the Bio-Lizard jumped inside the room as well, Eggman's gloves held up, crackling with dark energy.

"Now then...would you be so kind as to answer a few of my questions, little dust-eater?" Dr. Eggman inquired. "Or I'll tear your family apart, from granny to GOLDFISH."

"You smell of EGG." King mumbled.

"Who are you people? How do you know what is inside of **Ignorance**?"

King looked to the side slightly with his eyes, shifting his weight a bit. 30 steps to the door.

"I don't believe this. Are you THAT idiotic, snake? You are ACTUALLY trying to escape even though I'm all of ten feet from you, threatening to turn you into a "Main Moon Special Number 3"." Dr. Eggman muttered, shaking his head. "You do know that if you dropped that dead weight, you'd be able to get away just fine on your own-"

**"She's NOT dead weight." **King hissed with venom in his voice. Had he been a cobra, his hood would have flared. Eggman gave him a "huh" expression. "You're supposed to be in charge. But the throne you sit on is only there because it's held up by others! There's no point to leading if you're not **protecting** the people you're in charge of, like a TRUE leader!"

Eggman sneered as King's clenched one fist. "Dr. Eggman...you will **NEVER** be a true ruler!"

"Stupid idiot!" Eggman snapped. "There's no such thing as a "true ruler" in this world! You are living in a delusion! Nobody truly lives for his own people, only for himself!"

King promptly stuck his tongue out as Elise tossed a flash-bang grenade through the air.

THA-BAAAAAANG!

"That was hardly mature of you." She told King as they raced out of the room.

"Neither was him calling me a "stupid idiot", was it?" King mused.

"It won't hold him for long. Him OR the other." Elise spoke up, nervously biting her lip, speaking softly, sadly. "...he'll track us down. I'll wager that fat one can do it by scent alone..."

King saw the look in her eyes. "What are you thinking about doing?" He asked, a look of deep concern in his eyes. "I WON'T abandon you. You're going to get out of this alive and in one piece as long as I can help it."

"Heh...you always want to have your cake and eat it too." Elise laughed gently. "That's why I like you so much..."

...

...

...

... _"Amy..." Silver said, kneeling down on his knees and ruffling her hair. "Your mother and I are going to be going out of town. REALLY out of town. We want you to be a big girl and look after the house, alright?" He said kindly._

_"Remember to wear clean underwear and don't keep letting stray dogs into the house." Blaze added as she knelt by her daughter as well. The two then hugged Amy tightly. "We'll miss you so much."_

_"You'll come back soon, right?" Amy asked nervously, hugging them for all they were worth, feeling as though, if she let go, they'd be gone from her sight forever._

_"We'll be right back." Silver insisted. _

_"So you be a brave girl, alright?" Blaze added._

_As their backs slowly receded into the distance, Amy felt tears springing to her eyes as Tiara gently squeezed her, but...but their heads...they were held so high, so proud of what they were doing. It made Amy feel...secure. Honored. _

_Her parents, the superheroes._

Amy sipped on her Orange Julius as she put away the picture of her parents back into her wallet, taking a deep sigh. It was then that she heard people speaking at the diner table behind her.

"Metallurgists are fighting with Omega right now?"

"Yes, the **Metal Brotherhood** themselves!"

"Oh, where the hell are the COPS when you need 'em? They're just kids..."

Amy suddenly shot up from the table and took off.

No, no, she would NOT lose another pair of people she loved and cherished. She wouldn't.

Elsewhere, Sonic and Tails were continuing their assault against Omega, with Sonic having transformed. His body shimmering with golden light, he swirled through the air, striking at Omega, who erected a shield of dark energy around him to shield himself as Sonic kept hammering away.

Tails, meanwhile, snapped his fingers as he focused on casting a metal-related spell. "Sonic, get back!" He yelled out.

Sonic shot away as Omega's claws twitched and he tried to rush forward, suddenly noticing a VERY large shadow appearing overhead.

He barely jumped out of the way in time to avoid a large "1 Ton" cartoony weight that almost crushed him. "Low quality finish, fox." He remarked coldly.

"Kiss my **tails**, buddy." Tails said in response.

Omega responded by holding out one hand, as a small rocket suddenly appeared in the center of his palm. "ROCKET LAUNCHERS?" Sonic gasped. "He has rocket...damn, he's GOOD." He realized.

Omega fired off the rocket and it swirled forth. Sonic quickly dived to the side and the rocket slammed into a wall, making it shatter into rubble...revealing several dogs playing poker. They all looked up, gaping at the sight.

"What're you waitin' for, RUN!" Sonic yelled at them. They all took off howling as Sonic angrily looked back at Omega. "What the heck is with you targeting us in a crowded city anyhow? Innocent people could get hurt!"

"If you had just accepted your punishment, you wouldn't be asking that question in the first place, hedgehog." Omega said simply.

"Don't talk nonsense." Tails said, frowning. "We had nothing to do with what happened to your people! You just hate all metallurgists because you think we only bring pain to the innocent!"

"Oh? You DON'T?" Omega remarked coldly. "I told you this before. You users of Magic tap into the Elements of the World, playing with powers that you are not meant to have. Playing GOD."

"You want to talk about playing God...then tell me why you killed them...why you killed that poor girl who'd been turned into a Chao!" Tails yelled furiously. "You're just trying to justify cruelty the same way the government tried to justify Shanazar! You played God when you took away her life!" He snarled, fists clenched tightly.

Omega was eerily silent. Had he had a lip, he would be biting it. Then he spoke quietly. Deliberately.

"You know, an alchemist named Whiskers told me something some time before I killed him. That I was foolish to think my power could match that of yours, you "creators" who make something out of nothing...well, that art of Creation only the God you believe in should have...the twisting of it is what turned that girl into a Chao! Or have you forgotten that?" He said darkly.

It hit them like a freight train. Like a lightning bolt tearing through their insides.

"The magic that turned that girl and her dragon into a monstrosity...is THAT the Metallurgy you admire?" Omega snarled. "People have NEVER made a weapon they have not used, and Magic is just another weapon. A weapon you use for twisting around the natural world and defying physical laws whenever it suits you."

Gerald Robotnik's voice echoed in Sonic's mind as his eyes widened in absolute horror at the realization Omega was forcing on him.

"_Look at yourself, __**Blue Blur!**__ AND Your __**brother**__! That was also the result of "playing around with people's lives", wasn't it?"_

But...but...

"...what does your destruction create?" Sonic growled. "All you do is take away! How can you possibly think what you did was right? Where's the compassion in **killing** someone?" Sonic added, angry tears springing to his eyes. "What right did you have to kill her?" He demanded to know.

"Did you try and save her? Put her back to normal?" Omega asked calmly.

Tails and Sonic were nervously quiet.

"You couldn't, could you. And if you tried...it would have killed her...wouldn't it have? Even WITH _Zoe_ there was a good chance you would have blown her into chunks." Omega said softly. "The only life she would have had left was one in a lab...not treated as a PERSON anymore."

It was true...they couldn't have helped her. And where could she have gone? Most likely, the government would have wanted to keep the talking chao under constant watch...in a laboratory...like a rat in a cage...

"It's true...people like us Metallurgists, we...we do make mistakes. But that doesn't mean what you're doing is justified. Certainly not..." Tails said.

"And even if you do believe in punishing people for what they've done to your people...how can you justify what you did..." Sonic began. "To two Mobians who were trying to save lives?"

Omega suddenly stiffened a bit, as Amy, who had been sneaking towards they alley they were now in through a side alley, stopped in her tracks.

Oh no. Could...could they be talking about-

"Two _Zoe_ users by the name of Rose. They went to Shanazar and healed people on both sides. Even after our government ordered them to stop helping your kind, they continued healing Shanazarans..."

Omega took a small step back, his red eyes widening.

"Don't tell me you've forgotten the people who saved your life...WHO YOU THEN **MURDERED**, YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Sonic screamed furiously.

Amy's eyes widened in horror. She fell to her knees, the sound of the "thump" getting Sonic and Tails's attention as they gazed at her. Oh crap. Oh no, she'd heard everything, she...

Unfortunately, Omega had heard HER and turned to look right at her.

"Why didn't you...why didn't you tell me? How long have you know that..." Amy began to say, tears brimming in her eyes. "This person killed my...he..." She looked from them to Omega. "They saved your life and you...KILLED them?" She whispered, barely able to believe her eyes.

A look of deep pity flashed over Omega's normally featureless face. His eyes receded in their glow, his posture looking solemn. He felt a thousand years older now...

"What did my parents do to you that made them deserving of you killing them?" Amy wanted to know, hands digging into her knees, tears falling freely. "Give...GIVE ME BACK MY MOM AND DAD!" She screamed, grabbing ahold of her head and almost tearing hair out.

"Amy..." Sonic whispered, his lips partially open, sorrow on his features. He'd never wanted to her to find out like this...

Amy's eyes saw the gun that the cop from earlier had dropped. Her hands wrapped around it as she lifted it up.

"Amy, no, that won't work!" Tails called out.

Omega thought back to Master Bokkun's words as he saw the pain in the girl's eyes, the tears trickling down her cheeks as her shaking hands aimed the gun square at the space between his eyes.

_"I can GET how you feel so pissed." He waved a finger in the air. "But going around and killing them isn't going to help things. It's not logical. It's not smart. Responding to violence with more violence? That's like trying to put out a fire by getting a BIGGER fire."_

"So you were the Amy I heard those doctors discussing...their daughter." Omega said quietly. "You do have the right to shoot me." He went on. "But understand, the moment you fire, I will see you as an enemy."

"OMEGA, don't you DARE!" Tails roared.

"You sonofabitch!" Sonic yelled. "You touch her and I'll-"

"KILL me? FINE!" Omega snarled back. "The cycle of hatred won't end until BOTH sides are destroyed! But don't forget it was one of **YOUR** people that pulled the trigger which started everything at my homeland!"

He turned on Amy, fist raised. "So get out of my way!"

"Amy, RUN!" Sonic yelled, rushing forward as Omega threw a punch...

And now Sonic was spread-eagled, protecting Amy from a punch that was hovering an inch away from his face as Omega's red eyes widened in recognition...memory filling his mind...a familiar, dear face...

"_Brother, get DOWN, are you trying to get yourself killed?" _

Omega hesitated...

It was for long enough. Tails shot forward, knocking Omega away and out of the alley. "Get her out of here!" He yelled at Sonic, rushing at the robot as Sonic turned to Amy.

"I couldn't shoot..." She murmured. "He killed my mom and dad and...and he might kill you too..."

"Amy, your hands gave me and Tails a second chance. Your hands have been curing and providing for us for years. These..." He knelt down and gently stroked them. "These are not the hands of a killer. They're hands that save people's lives."

Finally, Amy broke down, letting out a long, horrible cry as she sobbed into Sonic's chest, and he held her there, a single tear trickling down his cheek and onto her forehead.

**Author's Note:**

**For those of you wondering who Omega's brother might be...and the circumstances surrounding how Silver and Blaze ended up dead, be patient. Good things come to those who wait. ;)  
**


	20. One Golem: No Charge for Delivery

_The Chaos Emeralds. _

_It is a thing of immeasurable power. It grants joy to the suffering, victory to those on the verge of defeat, life to the dead...shining like a star in the hands of it's wielder, it possesses the power to turn one's thoughts into reality. It makes the impossible possible. Men honor it and worship what it can do. People believe it to be a gift from God._

_Yet what is required to make it..._

_Is the work of the Devil._

**Episode Nineteen:**

**One Golem: No Charge for Delivery!**

**1****つのゴーレム：配信は無料！**

"Damn." Dr. Eggman mumbled as he watched the snake and the human vanish into the distance. "All those fancy grenades. I feel so...OLD." He sighed. "Even if I was to keep chasing after them, my body won't keep up." He looked down at his stomach and slapped it. "Cheese is right, I have GOT to start visiting the gym again..."

"It hurts when I breathe." The Bio-Lizard announced, clutching at it's throat. "And I can't see too well..."

"It's just all the dust getting to you." Dr. Eggman chastised him. "Can you still sniff them out?"

"I...I guess..."

"Well go around from the East and follow them. Corner them at the nearest dead end and I'll follow after." Dr. Eggman said, adjusting his gloves as he headed down the stairs. "Ah, and to think, I still need to worry about that damnable ROBOT."

King, still carrying Elise as gently as he could, raced down the back alleys, his blue hair flowing freely. He couldn't' sweat, but he was panting so heavily he looked almost like a dog, his thin tongue hanging limp from his mouth as he raced past rows of flowers and door after door.

The alleys were getting smaller. "Oh no. Oh NO. I'm heading into a dead end?" King murmured as he smelled The Bio-Lizard chasing after him. "This isn't good, this isn't..." He bit his lip. "What to do? We've hit a dead end. **LITERALLY**!"

"King...my liege...I...can't feel my left arm anymore..." Elise mumbled out, a tear trickling down her cheek. Her voice sounded mournful.

"Well that's fine, I didn't want you fighting anymore. A gentleman's supposed to look after a lady and-" King began, his polite tone trying to desperately disguise the horror he was feeling over what had befallen his dear Elise.

"If you perish because of me...then there would be no heir to the throne of the Metatron..." The young woman went on. "If a ruler loses his people, he is no longer a ruler...and if the people lose their ruler, then they too are lost just as he is...for the sake of Soleanna and it's people you CAN'T die."

"No." King whispered, golden eyes turning to pinpricks of fear. "_No_. I don't want you leave me! You CAN'T! I order you to stop thinking like that! I won't throw you away!"

"For the sake of a good cause, don't people throw themselves away all the time?" Elise asked, reaching into her dress, pulling out a small knife as they approached a stray dog that was sitting by a garbage can.

"Elise, no. NO. Put-put that..." King stuttered, shaking slightly. "I can't let you-**NO!**"

**SCHA-THLUCK!**

Dr. Eggman and the Bio-Lizard had now found the alley our two Soleannan heroes had gone into. "Heh. A dead end. LITERALLY. Now I'll-hmm." He turnd, seeing an explosion far off. "Omega..."

He frowned a bit. "...**Ignorance**, you deal with Omega. I'll handle this."

"But I wanted the girl."

"You like girls?" Dr. Eggman asked, one eyebrow raised.

"Yes, they're easy on the gums."

"...just...go." Dr. Eggman mumbled, shaking his head. "Deal with that damnable robot."

And of course, dear friends, this begs the question "Where IS that damnable robot"? Well, at the moment Omega was standing across from Tails at an old train yard, some distance from the railroad station. "Get out of my way! Do you want me to blow you open like I did the last time I met you?"

Nope, but I don't want you blowing anyone else open even more." Tails explained calmly.

"...you're nothing more than a doll that walks and talks." Omega said, throwing a rapid series of punches at Tails, who ducked and dived, dodging them as best he could. "Isn't that also the result of Magic? I can't believe your STUPIDITY!" The robot snapped. "Your body's so pathetic, and yet you still have faith?"

Tails somersaulted away, landing expertly atop a railroad spire. "It's true, there's a lot of things wrong with this body of mine. But I'm not miserable. My brother gave up the use of his limbs to give me a chance to exist in this world again. If it wasn't for magic, I wouldn't even be talking to you right now, I'd be sitting on a shelf somewhere! Yeah, there's plenty of problems with the art, but..."

Tails smiled proudly. "I have...faith...in my brother. And in Magic. And I want to KEEP believing."

"I see." Omega said solemnly, softly, standing by a large water tank for one of the railroads.

BA-BAAAAAM! The water tank exploded open, and steam rushed out, filling the area, blocking Tails's vision. Omega's red eyes narrowed and he rushed forward to slash...

But he'd forgotten about Sonic. Sonic rushed forward from out of the steam, a good and harsh kick knocking Omega's frame backwards as Tails rushed to his side. "Is Amy alright?"

"She's safe now. But I feel like such an idiot...I made her cry..." Sonic mumbled sadly.

"Ah, you're so careless sometimes." Tails commented, shaking his head. "But that doesn't matter now. Let's do this." He said, grinning broadly.

The two got into a fighting position, but suddenly...

"Lucy! I'm **HOOOOOOME**!" A childish voice rang out.

They looked up and saw the Bio-Lizard come flying down from the sky, landing some distance from Omega, who turned to glare slightly at the tegu lizard. "Found you, Shanazaran!"

"The golem!" Sonic yelled out.

The Bio-Lizard lunged at Omega, mouth open wide...

And missed by a mile as Omega swerved out of the way, slamming his claws into the golem's back. Dark energy surged out and through the Bio-Lizard's frame, shaking him and making his body shudder violently as black/purple energy coursed through him. The tegu screamed over and over as his body hit the ground, blood drooling out of his mouth and nose.

"That ain't gonna kill him." Sonic commented.

"Shut iiiiit!" Omega snapped back at him. "If I wish for your opinion I-you know what? I will NEVER wish for your opinion."

Unfortunately, this momentary lapse in keeping his guard up cost him as the Bio-Lizard jumped back up, his wounds quickly healing as he slammed Omega into a nearby boxcar, laughing like a fool. "Tackled at the forty yard line!" The lizard remarked cheerily.

"Dang it, that stupid Soleannean snake was supposed to catch that Golem! Where the heck is he?" Sonic demanded.

Dr. Eggman, meanwhile, followed the trail of blood left behind by the human girl, his eyes scanning intently. There was nowhere for her or for him to go...what did they think they were-

Then he turned the corner into the dead end and saw it...lying in a bloody pool.

THA-WOOOOOSH!

A figure leapt up from a nearby manhole, spinning through the air, blue hair swirling around. Omega and the Golem looked up in surprise as Sonic and Tails gasped. King spun downward, a look in his eyes that they'd never seen before as he slammed into the Bio-Lizard, thrusting his fist into the thing's mouth. "A big boy's gotta EAT!" he roared out.

The Bio-Lizard at first tried to bite his arm off. But unfortunately he didn't even get to move one jaw as suddenly there was an intense, blinding pain and-

Something thick and pulpy and foul-smelling went flying through the air away from the Bio-Lizard and King as King pushed the body of the Bio-Lizard off of him, the thing's frame falling to the ground like a rotten fruit as the pulpy thing hit the ground nearby.

"...is that...what I _think _it is?" Sonic asked, turning a little green at the sight of the vaguely pink think that lay some distance from the Bio-Lizard's body.

"It's not as though he was using it much anyhow." King added, blood pooling around the grey matter. He then held up a hand. "I need a shield and fast!"

Tails nodded quickly and snapped his fingers.

POOF!

What followed was perhaps the most unusual sight they'd seen yet. A shield had been erected straight in the middle of where the exploded thing's head had been. It was unable to fully reform, and as a result, the flesh was expanding like a balloon, one part of it's being completely billowing out. The end result...it looked like somebody had crossed a big lizard with a "space hopper" toy. The thing's head was now grossly disproportionate to the rest of it's body and it's body flailed around uselessly, trying to get back on it's legs.

"That's just sad." Omega said, looking the thing over.

"Unusual solution, but surprisingly effective. I'm just glad it's mouth is facing DOWNWARD." Tails told King.

Then he saw the look on the snake's face. There was no warmth to it. No jolliness or kindness. There was cold, hard, dark intent as it gazed upon the golem like it was dirt beneath it's feet. Tails had never seen any face look so absolutely furious. It was as if King wanted to kill the thing a million times over.

"You...alright?"

"...because...of this...THING..." King whispered darkly. "...because of these THINGS..."

Sonic's eyes widened a bit and he spoke quietly. "Where's Elise?" He asked softly.

King's claws dug into his fist and he grit his teeth.

...

...

...

...Dr. Eggman slowly moved his goggles up to his forehead, clapping his hands in a slow, deliberate manner.

"Not bad at all." He admitted quietly. "Not bad at all."

Elise had tied her arm to a stray dog that had gone down the dead end instead of them. She was now in the sewers, King having performed a tourniquet on her arm to stop the bleeding, and she made her way down a pathway towards their designated meeting place, panting heavily, gasping for breath.

The important thing was that King was still alive. And they couldn't trace her through the smell of her blood, because she was walking inside of the dirty water, the stench alone enough to cover her tracks.

"Serves...you...right...**monsters**..." She thought to herself.

...

...

...

... "I kept my end of the bargain." King said, pulling out his scimitar and slamming the blade into the ground, bowing in a respectful manner. "One Golem. Would you like him gift-wrapped?"

"GOLEM?" Omega thought to itself. This couldn't be possible. It defied all-

BANG!

"GAAAAAAH!" Omega howled as it fell to one knee, a ferrari that had suddenly driven up to the railroad yard riding by them. "Get in, quick!" A bat wearing a labcoat, glasses and a pink bow in her hair announced to King.

"Who the he-oh." Sonic suddenly realized who it was. ROUGE? Good lord, that disguise was slapdash. How cheap was the colonel? He couldn't get a holographic inducer or something? What did he spend all his money on, GUNS?

The car took off as Sonic and Tails turned back to Omega. They'd meet up with King later. Now it was time to get even with this murderer. And with one leg injured...

THRUCKA-POW!

A harsh, heavy blow from Sonic knocked Omega back through the air. It barely righted itself in time as Tails held up a hand and a swirling surge of wind magic launched nearby loose railroad ties at the robot. Omega, who had used up much of his weaponry already, lashed out with his claws, slicing and slashing at the oncoming railroad ties.

"You've killed so many people...now it's time YOU got eliminated!" Tails roared out.

Unfortunately, he didn't get to follow up on this. Because he was kicked to the side, harshly, by a little girl.

"What...the...f-" Sonic exclaimed as a raccoon's tail whizzed at him, knocking HIM through the air. Marine then landed expertly on her feet, giving Omega a thumbs up.

"Everythin' peachy keen, mate?" She asked eagerly as her pet Koala sat nearby, giving an imitation thumbs up as it's master was doing.

"What the heck is a little girl doing here?" Sonic exclaimed, scratching his head as he stood back up.

"What were YOU up to, blue britches, hurting my savior's henchman?" Marine snapped at Sonic.

"BLUE BRITCHES?" Sonic snapped angrily.

"And it looks like you're stretching them out." She added, looking at Sonic's stomach, sniggering a bit. "Three words, mate. South Beach Diet."

"WHY I OUGHTA-!"

"What do you think you're doin'?" Tails asked, getting back up.

"Ah well, I must be off! G'day!" She laughed, tossing a small piece of paper through the air, making it land right in the middle of Sonic and Tails. The ground BULGED for a second as she leapt through the air towards Omega as Sonic and Tails gasped.

THA-BOOOOOOOOM!

Dirt and dust exploded everywhere as Marine snuck the large robot away, Tails and Sonic coughing madly. "How the heck did she do that?" Sonic exclaimed. "I didn't see her wearing any rings on her, or MAKING a ring in the ground..."

"It must be Yakin Shīru." Tails deduced as the smoke cleared. "...darn. Where'd she go?"

...

...

...

... "Ooh. Crikey, I tell ya, you got lucky." Marine looked the wound over as she, Omega and Nack sat in an alley quite some distance from the railroad station they'd been at. "The bullet went right through your leg. Taking it out would have been a pain. Luckily I can handle this."

Nack crouched down, watching as Marine took out another slip of paper she'd written on in blood, she slapped the piece onto the wound.

SCHUDDA-THWOOMBAH!

Right before their eyes brilliant greenish/blue light shone out and the wound was patched up. "Amazin'. Who needs doctors when ya got this?" Nack laughed.

"Ah, it's not quite as good as you'd think." Marine admitted nervously, rubbing the back of her neck. "It relies on rhythm. Either the rhythm that flows beneath your feet...or the rhythm that flows within a body. You're lucky you have a soul, or I wouldn't be able to cure you. And if the wound had been blown OFF, I couldn't cure it, the rhythm flowing through your leg would be cut off...dissipated."

"Oh, you can't cure a lost limb like _Zoe_ can?" Nack inquired.

Meanwhile, Omega thought back to that girl...and the way she'd looked at him, holding up that gun.

_"What did my parents do to you that made them deserving of you killing them?" Amy wanted to know, hands digging into her knees, tears falling freely. "Give...GIVE ME BACK MY MOM AND DAD!" She screamed, grabbing ahold of her head and almost tearing hair out..._

"...is Hatred all that I'll encounter on this path I'm on?...is there nothing I can do but continue to kill?" He murmured.

"Okay Tabby, let's get-AHH!" Marine shrieked. "WHERE'S ME BLOODY KOALA?"

"...what the heck is THAT?" Sonic asked, pointing at the thing Tails was holding as they sat in a taxi cab.

"This belonged to the girl. It was standing with her before. It's a koala. Didn't you pay attention to those classes on Australia?"

"All I remember is the stuff related to Foster's Beer." Sonic told him.

"Yeah, that fits." Tails mumbled as Sonic looked down at the Koala, which glared at him. "But you should know that a Koala's claws are really sharp. It LOOKS harmless, but-"

"Hey little guyyyyy..." Sonic said, reaching out.

SLASH!

"OH YOU LITTLE SHIT!" Sonic roared, holding his hand. "MAJOR uncool! Tails, you gimme that thing so I can flush it down the toilet!" He snarled, the blood dribbling down.

"Hey man, you're payin' for a new seat!" The taxi cab driver snapped at him.

"Graaaaaah!" It promptly bit into Tails's "hand", but Tails just smiled kindly down at him.

"There, there." Tails said kindly. "I don't really feel any pain. Just caaaaaalm down." He crooned. "Calm down."

The koala blinked. Wait. It couldn't be bit? What the heck WAS this thing? And why did it have an oddly...polyester aroma?

Eventually, Sonic and Tails reached their destination...the hotel they continued to stay in. Amy was sitting in the lobby, and sharing a cup of coffee with-

...Dr. Eggman?

"Hello." He remarked cheerily.

", what...brings you here?" Tails asked, looking confused.

"I had heard about a large disturbance in this region and heard the whole story from the soldiers stationed here. I ALSO heard about you protecting Ms. Rose here." He smiled a bit, smirking slightly. "Quite the gentleman, aren't you, dear hedgehog?"

Sonic blushed. "Uh, um, er...well..."

"In any case, since you're here, I must be off." He stood up, nodding at Sonic and Tails. "She's a good girl. Take excellent care of her." He added, leaving the room, humming to himself.

"...well, uh..." Sonic and Tails sat down, the koala sitting on Tails's shoulder. Amy just decided not to ask why. She'd had a weird enough day. "I guess...I'd better tell you everything I learned about Silver and Blaze..."

...

...

...

...Amy had been proud to hear how her parents had died. How much good they'd truly done. And she knew that she should continue that kind of work. It was as Sonic had said...her hands were not meant for killing. They were the hands of one who helped others up, not knock them down.

And so, Amy decided to return back to Westside, to go back to working as a healer. And Sonic and Tails? Well...they kind of had a date with destiny.

And destiny happened to have taken up residence in an old shack some twenty miles from town.

"Are you SERIOUS?" Doctor Chuck Thorndyke angrily exclaimed. "Running around in the SEWERS? After you CUT YOUR OWN ARM OFF?" He slapped his own face and pulled it down slightly. "Why don't you just shoot yourself in the head while you're at it? God, you're as bad as my ex-wife." He said, standing by the panting, heavily-swearing bedridden Elise.

Rouge was standing nearby, having administered a washtowel to the girl's head and having helped her into the bed. "You sure you'll be alright?" She asked the doctor.

"I've only been working with corpses lately, so I MAY be a little rough.

"I'm accustomed to pain. It lets one know one is alive." Elise laughed slightly. "And it is a great thing to be ALIVE, isn't it?"

King sat outside of the shed. He sat Indian-style, arms folded, his mouth a taut line. His eyes not truly seeing anything around him, but through everything else, as if he was focusing on some ideal that was trying to choke him from all sides.

"I'm sorry about this." Sonic told him as he and Tails approached the snake. "It's-"

"Don't tell me. I'm keen to guess." King cleared his throat suddenly. "It's my fault I got you caught up in this". Right? That's what you'd like to say?"

Sonic was silent as the serpent anthro went on. "Please, don't misunderstand. We're in the same boat, and helping you out was MY idea. You needn't feel apologetic, my friend. I understood that..going down this road would be...hard. That I'd have to sacrifice much. I was prepared for that." He insisted. "But..."

He bit his lip. "...I do not know enough. I need MORE. I need to be stronger...I need to be better. I can't have others making sacrifices for me." His eyes flickered. "...tell me something. Your friend. Amy. She can use _Zoe_, can she not? I need to get Elise out of this city and to someone who can heal her."

"I'm sure Amy would love to help." Sonic said gently, as he and Tails went in to check in on Elise. Shadow the Hedgehog, who had brought Dr. Thorndyke along, walked over to King, looking him over.

"Your partner's tough."

"I'm very proud of her."

"I haven't introduced myself. Colonel Shadow at your service." Shadow said.

King bowed his head. "King of Soleanna. It's a pleasure." He said solemnly. "And thank you for finding a doctor for us." He added.

"Not a problem. But there is ONE problem we still have to deal with...that golem." Shadow remarked.

And where WAS the golem, I hear you cry? Well, they'd stuck it in a small barn some distance from the shack. Now Dr. Thorndyke, King and Shadow were looking right at the thing as it continued to flail around, trying to get back on it's arms and legs, it's head still swollen up. "That's really a golem?" Chuck asked, frowning slightly, looking disgusted.

"Yes. And it's got a Chaos Emerald at it's center, so it doesn't die easily...though if you kill it enough times, it WILL die." Shadow added, smirking. "I know from personal experience."

"Anything else I should know?" Chuck added, one eyebrow arching up.

"It's got a Chaos Emerald at it's core, which is made up of many innocent souls." Shadow said solemnly. "And these...things...have some connection to the higher-ups in the military." He went on as Sonic and Tails headed over to them to join in on the conversation.

"Wait, "higher-ups"?" King's eyes widened. "Dr. Eggman. He's a golem." He spoke up suddenly.

Eyes widened. Gasps filled the air. They all turned to look at King, scarcely able to believe what they'd just heard.

"WHAT?" they all exclaimed.

"I saw his true eyes. A string of ones and zeroes. And he was working along with that thing." King said. "He tried to attack me and Elise. He's the reason why her arm was cut off!"

"The ruler of this entire country is a golem?" Shadow murmured, a feeling of horror rising in him.

"But wouldn't his family have noticed?" Tails asked. "He DOES have a family, right?"

"Cream was born before he even met his ex-wife." Shadow added softly. "And as for his son, Cheese, I've never seen him but he's supposed to be "adopted" or something from what I've heard of the rumors."

"He's not adopted, Cheese is a Chao that he treats AS a son." Dr. Thorndyke told them. "And supposedly, he was his daughter's first birthday present. He was already with Vanilla and Cream before the doctor ever met them supposedly."

"It's true he doesn't have that horrifying aura the other Golems have. He seems to only have ONE soul inside him." King added.

"But whether he's a monster or a human, I think this information's made it much easier for me to kick him off the throne." Shadow added darkly, grinning coldly and slamming his fist into his palm. "First thing's first. We need information from this golem. And if we can get it out, we can use it's Chaos Emerald to heal my officer..."

"Hey, hold on." King said firmly. "My dear partner lost her own arm to bring this monster in. I must send it to Soleanna!"

"Woah, wait a minute!" Sonic exclaimed. "Everyone take a chill pill! Don't go sneakin' it away! Shadow, c'mon, back us up on this!"

"Don't look at me Shadow, I'm not voting along with anyone. You can't get me to add to your majority." Chuck laughed.

"Shad...ow?" The Bio-Lizard whispered, eyes widening. "...Shadow...killed...Sonia..." It whispered.

"Uh, did that thing just say something?" Tails asked, looking at the golem, who's body began to pulse, hot, bitter tears entering it's eyes.

"You...KILLED...SONIA!" It snarled at Shadow.

"What the?" Shadow exclaimed.

"**SHADOOOOOOW!" **The Bio-Lizard roared furiously.

At that moment it was like being plunged into a hurricane. The wind whipped around everyone, roaring like a thousand lions as it tore at their flesh, the Bio-Lizard's furious, horrifying screech filling the air, rending their eardrums to shreds.

The Bio-Lizard had one thing on it's mind.

_KILL._

...

...

...

...Dr. Eggman sat inside of a computer lab, typing away as he played an online version of "Scrabble". He enjoyed being able to test his IQ by beating the crap out of unknowing players across the internet.

"Ha-HAH! Eric-San93 from Westside City...I OWN your ass." He announced, pointing at the screen.

"Ah, HeRe YoU aRe, **CrUeLtY**." A voice, mechanical and faintly ringing through the air like a cold bell resounded.

Dr. Eggman smiled slightly. "Ah,** Despair**. How are you?"

"Oh, I wAs DoInG FINE uNtIl I hEaRd ThAt OmEgA gOt AwAy."

"Oh, yes. And somebody has caught **Ignorance**." Dr. Eggman added.

"...wHaT?" The unknown voice said softly, dangerously. "If YoU dO nOt Do ThIs ThE WaY tHaT oUr DeSiGnEr WaNtS iT, tHeN yOu'Ll bE iN hOt WaTeR. YoU'rE lEtTiNg ThEm MeSs WiTh YoUr MiNd. YoU'rE nOt AcTiNg NoRmAlLy." Despair spoke up, sounding concerned.

"Hmm." Dr. Eggman said, shrugging.

"YoU sOuNd...HaPpY."

"I AM happy. Thing's aren't going right, but that makes them...interesting. One must allow for chaos theory, you see." Dr. Eggman explained. "HOW things go wrong are almost never the same."

"..."

"Years ago when I was set upon the path of "Dr. Eggman", everythin was laid out for me. I've lived my life exactly the way it's been planned. There's never been any deviations from this "script" we're all following. But now...somebody's improvising."

"AnD yOu SeEm...PlEaSeD aBoUt It."

"The fact that they've pulled one over on us when we've had things planned out for so long...maybe it's the right time." Dr. Eggman mused, rubbing his chin. "Maybe it's THEIR time."

"...DoN't fOrGeT. To ThEm, We'Re "MoNsTeRs". We DoN't FiT aNoNg ThEm. NoT rEaLlY."

"Oh, I know." Dr. Eggman mumbled. "But I've made a living pretending I can."

"...YeS...aNd yOu'Re ThE bEsT aT yOuR tRaDe. ThOuGh I tHiNk I cOmE vErY cLoSe. WhAt CaN I sAy? I'vE hAd a GoOd TeAcHeR."

"..."

"I wOn'T tElL "hIm" AbOuT tHeSe InSuBoRdInAtE cOmMeNtS."

"Why thank you." Dr. Eggman said, looking pleased.

"Oh, AnD uH...dOn'T fOrGeT. YoU nEeD tO bE hOmE bY 7. YOU'RE cOoKiNg dInNeR tOnIgHt."

"...crap." Dr. Eggman tore out of the room as the other voice chuckled slightly.

Meanwhile, Big was sitting alone, in a cell, head bowed as some dogs sat nearby, slurping at some water in bowls.

"Slop time, kitty-cat." Metal Sonic announced coldly, bringing in a tray with some water and food on a plate. He was about to put it down on a nearby table that was close to the bed Big was sleeping on, but he saw another tray was still there. "You haven't eaten your last meal? Are you trying to starve yourself? We need you alive, you're a potentially excellent sacrifice for our big plans."

"...what do you plan to DO with me?" Big asked, hands gripping his knees.

"That would be a secret." Metal Sonic said, putting the tray down and sitting in a nearby chair, looking with amusement upon Big the Cat. "Why don't you cooperate us? You'll get treated to quite a show."

"Quite a SHOW?" Big exclaimed. "More like making everyone in this country a giant Chaos Emerald...you've been carving out an enormous ring out of Mobius, all to make a Chaos Emerald...and there's one spot still remaining...up in the North, at Nocturne!" He growled, looking accusingly at Metal Sonic.

Metal Sonic tilted his head to the slightly. "...hmm. CLOSE." He admitted, nodding firmly. "You're close, true, but it's not just that, you see. Still..." He shrugged. "What are you going to do? You can't do anything or the village you were living in gets wiped off the map. Just weigh it out." Metal Sonic said simply, spreading out his arms. "One village versus the suffering of a whole company."

"You cannot ADD or SUBTRACT the lives of innocent people!" Big yelled furiously, slamming his fists into his knees. "You CANNOT treat people as a means to an end! No matter WHAT the end is!"

"...ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!" Metal Sonic laughed, holding his head back. "Ah yes, that's so typical of you organics! You remind me of that other one. When I turned into his wife, he just couldn't attack me. Your kind are so easy to take apart..."

"Ah-HEM."

Metal Sonic and Big turned to see Dr. Eggman standing in the doorway.

"I have a bit of a favor to ask you. It seems **Ignorance** bit off more than he could chew..."

...

...

...

...When at last the roaring wind died down, the others took steps back, far away from the form of the Bio-Lizard as they saw dust whipping through the air, clouding it's form. "What the heck is it doing?" Sonic gasped.

As the smoke cleared away, they saw something else was standing there. Something that was not simply an ordinary lizard...

It had turned into something from out of an old "Godzilla" film. It was a hulking, ENORMOUS lizard that was now even larger than the barn it had been in. It towered over them all, drool dripping out of it's mouth, it's eyes bugged out and filled with hate, enormous tubes sticking out of it's back, filling and draining back out with some strange substance that looked like a thousand liquid faces all blended together...

Large fangs filled it's maw, and it now had brown/orange skin, with tiny fins attached to it's tail, it's eyes transformed into burning balls of green with slit black pupils. It's clawed paws dug at the ground as it gazed down at them all, snarling and hissing.

"Ho-ly-CRAP. Someone here PLEASE tell me they have the power of Heart." King exclaimed, taking a few steps back.

"Uhhhh...since it's, ya know, a fellow reptile, why don't you talk to your fellow brother in arms?" Sonic murmured nervously.

"Brother? Oh no, OHHH no. If that's a "brother", you can call me an only child!" King insisted as they all began to nervously step backwards, away from the enormous beast.

"What the heck is going on?" Rouge exclaimed as she carried Elise out to King's side as the Bio-Lizard angrily turned to glare darkly at Shadow.

And then...it happened. It's mouth opened up and split apart into four "segments", as an enormous rib-like structure of teeth formed, and a single, horrifying reptilian eye appeared in the throat. It let out a horrifying roar and launched a blast of burning pinkish/red energy at Shadow, who managed to jump out of the way in time, narrowly avoiding getting turned into a squishy little meat paddy.

"That monster had a monster INSIDE of it?" King exclaimed as he carefully held onto Elise.

"To think that magic can make such monsters..." Sonic murmured.

"Oh well, can't be helped. Guess I'll have to teach it a lesson..." Shadow said, holding up his ringed hands, clenching his fists.

SHA-THWOOM! A burning torrent of fire shot from Shadow's body towards the Bio-Lizard as Shadow's red eyes narrowed. "Burn to the ground!" He snarled at the thing.

And then, right before their eyes, the thing's mouth opened up again, and it sucked up the flame like a giant vacuum, the fire vanishing with a SCHLOOP sound into the thing's gaping maw. "It...ate...the fire?" Shadow mumbled, a sweatdrop forming on his head. "...oh shit."

SHUDDA-BOOOOM!

A burning blast was launched right back at them and they, naturally, responded in the only way that made sense.

They ran screaming.

"AAAAAAAA!" Tails screeched.

"So much for Mr. Bigshot "Burning Metallurgist"!" Sonic yelled.

"If YOU'RE soon hot, then YOU try and kill that thing!" Shadow snapped back at him as the Koala clung to Tails for dear life.

"Run for the forest and scatter!" Sonic exclaimed. All three of them took off in different directions, Shadow racing past some large oak trees, panting and heaving. He couldn't believe it. How was he supposed to fight something that could just suck up all his fire?

How?

The Bio-Lizard suddenly slammed into sight, it's enormous frame towering down and looking at the back of Shadow the Hedgehog. It had followed his scent and leapt after him, and now it's mouth opened up to-

It then blinked, noticing something. It took a closer look and poked Shadow's "head"...

Which fell off. The thing was a dummy, with Shadow's head quills attached.

"SONOFA-" The Bio-Lizard began to snarl.

"I feel so...**bald**." Shadow murmured as Rouge carried him towards the car where Elise was sitting in with King and Chuck. There wasn't any quills on his head anymore. They'd all been cut off to use on the dummy. He turned on Sonic and Tails. "If you tell ANYONE what I had to do to get away, I will hunt you down and GUT you."

"How about a picture for the memories?" Sonic asked, holding up a camera. Tails snatched t out of his hands and tossed it away. "Look, just get out of here. The leader of our country's a Golem. That's enough for you to worry about right now, right?"

Chuck grinned slightly as Rouge nodded. "Okay." She said. "You started this battle. Make sure you finish it." She told them. "And if need be...use this." She said, handing him one of her large throwing knives.

"I..."

"Do you know what this is?" Rouge asked quietly. "It's nothing more than a tool."

"Yes, a tool for killing..." Sonic mumbled. "...alright, I...guess I'll...borrow it." He murmured.

"**Please**, take care of Elise." King insisted, looking through the car window at Elise.

Meanwhile, the Bio-Lizard's cries echoed through the forest. "Where is Shadow the Hedgehog? He killed Sonia! I'LL NEVER FORGIVE YOU, SHADOW THE HEDGEHOG**! I'LL NEVER FORGIVE YOU!**" It wailed.


	21. Jonah and the Whale: Trapped

_The Chaos Emeralds. _

_It is a thing of immeasurable power. It grants joy to the suffering, victory to those on the verge of defeat, life to the dead...shining like a star in the hands of it's wielder, it possesses the power to turn one's thoughts into reality. It makes the impossible possible. Men honor it and worship what it can do. People believe it to be a gift from God._

_Yet what is required to make it..._

_Is the work of the Devil._

**Episode Twenty:**

**ヨナとクジラ：闇にとらわれた！**

**Jonah and the Whale: Trapped in the Darkness!**

"Where is he...WHERE IS HE?" The Biolizard snarled furiously, his eyes pulsing with horrifying rage, slamming it's fists into the ground. It was stomping around in something of a childish rampage, but the terrifying anger and sheer size alone..

"...I know we said we'd fight this thing...but...I'm kinda up for running like a coward, if that's alright with you guys."

"I wouldn't fault you for it." King admitted nervously. "That thing is like Godzilla on steroids."

"Well, they've killed Godzilla before, right?" Tails asked as the little koala bear of Marine's sat atop his head.

"Well unless you can magic a 50 ton hyper death cannon from Japan's ministry of defense, I think we'll have to think of something else." King mumbled.

"We work with ELEMENTS, not time/space stuff. They go a different path." Sonic sighed. "You know, I didn't mind the prospect of spending my life going from town to town helping others. Or becoming a "hog of the military", defending the people. Magic has a price, that's the one thing all those who practice it have to remember..."

"But sometimes it seems the price is too high." King said softly. "As the saying goes, everything worth doing is hard."

"Does it have to be SCARY?" Tails added as the Biolizard slammed one fist into a tree, knocking down a row of them.

"Hey, you don't like the way the world works, take it up with God." King laughed.

"No way! The last time we did, he took my arms and legs!" Sonic snapped.

A snap of twigs. King whipped around, holding his scimitar up. Tails and Sonic turned to look at the thing in the distance. "Who's there?" Sonic whispered, the bushes shaking as a hulking form began to emerge from the dark recesses of...

A small wild squirrel stepped out of the bushes.

"PHEW." They all said, breathing a sigh of relief. Then King suddenly noticed something.

"...it's eyes." He said quickly.

The eyes. Pulsing red. Inhuman. Unnatural. They all frowned darkly as the squirrel began to chuckle, and then laugh coldly, high and unnatural, a mechanical ring to it's peals. "HA-HA-HA-HA! Quick on the uptake, aren't you! HEY! **IGNORANCE!**"

The Biolizard turned around, blinking stupidly. "Huh? **Racism**?" He called out.

"One of the Golems?" Tails asked.

"Well, well, well. Long time no see, bubblebutt!" The squirrel announced as it's body elongated and expanded, it's 'fur' dissolving into harsh metal as claws extended and a metal frame was made clear...

Now, before their eyes, stood Metal Sonic.

And Sonic immediately ran towards him, fist flying. "Who's...A...FATTY-FATTY-TWO-BY-FOUR-CAN'T-FIT-THROUGH-THE-KITCHEN-DOOR?" He snarled angrily, his fist BARELY missing Metal Sonic, who scrambled back a few feet.

"What? I'm just here to take Ignorance back, and I didn't say anything about a kitchen door, bubblebutt-"

"FIVE TIMES!" Sonic snapped.

"...huh?"

"Three times at the laboratory! TWICE just now you've called me "BUBBLEBUTT"!" Sonic roared out, jabbing his thumb at his chest, his eyes narrowed, teeth bared as King and Tails looked at each other, nervously sweatdropping.

"...you...kept track." Metal Sonic remarked sitting on a tree limb and making it creak, sounding scarcely able to believe what he was hearing. "...I don't know whether to applaud your excellent memory or suggest you see a psychiatrist."

King frowned slightly, looking at the ground where Metal had been standing, then at the tree limb. Hmm...

The Bio-Lizard walked up behind Metal, looking furiously at the group. "I was gonna get Shadow! SQUISH HIM! CRUSH HIM! SKIN 'EM ALIIIIVE!" He roared.

"Not that I wouldn't find it amusing for you to do that in front of his friends as they beg "oh please, please no"..." Metal Sonic commented, imitating somebody begging for help, one hand sprayed across his head. "God, you organics are so...stupidly sentimental." He sighed. "Point is, you can't go eatin' up or squishing or skinning Shadow. He's an important sacrifice, remember?"

"But-but-but..." The Bio-Lizard whined, stomping up and down. "That's not FAAAAIIIIR!" It said, crying.

"God, what a BABY." Metal Sonic mumbled.

"Well, well, well INDEED." King remarked. "You seem...different...than that one. Tell me...how many souls were used to weld that hulking metal doll you're walking around in together, golem?"

At the mention of the phrase "hulking metal doll", Metal Sonic's eyes narrowed into harsh red slits, his fists clenching slightly. Had he a face, he would have scowled.

"You're the dust-eater that crossed swords with **Cruelty**, eh?"

"DUST-EATER? I'll have you know I'm prince of Soleanna! I am King, who will be heir-"

"**Ignorance**. You up for a dish of snake? It tastes like chicken."

**"No I DON'T. I taste like **_**snaaaaaaaake**_**!"** King protested as he ran off, with Ignorance stomping after him.

"...should we help him out?" Sonic wondered out loud.

"...it appears as though the Golems can't honestly HURT us. I've got an idea." Tails told Sonic quietly. "Castling. When the rook and king switch places on the chess board."

Sonic grinned and the ring on his right wrist glittered. A huge burst of wind shot forth from his outstretched hand, sweeping through the forest and picking King up, tossing him back their way as Sonic and Tails leapt up through the air.

"Tag." Sonic said, tapping King on the shoulder as they flew towards the surprised Bio-Lizard, with King quickly shifting his weight, landing expertly on the ground before Metal Sonic, who blinked in surprise.

"Well that was...annoying." The robot said.

"You'll find this annoying too." King said, quickly slicing at the ground with his scimitar, dirt and mud getting in the robot's optic sensors, covering it up.

"GAH, YOU LITTLE!" It snarled. Unfortunately, switching to infared wasn't so easy because a moment later King kicked him square in the chest, knocking him back through the air. "You...YOU PIECE OF TRASH! I eat organics like you for BREAKFAST!" Metal Sonic hissed, wiping his eyes free of dirt.

"You eat pieces of trash for breakfast?"

"...GRRR..."

"You have no MOUTH."

"I'm going to squish you into a meat paddy and feed you to your girlfriend." Metal Sonic promised, making a gesture of squishing something in his palm.

"You mock the forces that you can't understand. DON'T LOOK DOWN ON MY KIND..." King hissed, holding his scimitar up. "**YOU TRASH.**"

...

...

...

... One vote for "Tuna Casserole". Another vote for "Tuna Casserole". ANOTHER vote for "Tuna Casserole".

"Sorry, dad. Tonight's dinner has been voted off the table." Cream informed Dr. Eggman as Cheese the Chao and Vanilla held up pieces of paper with the words "Tuna Casserole" on them.

"Ha-ha-ha." Dr. Eggman said, rolling his eyes as he tucked his napkin into his pocket. "It's nice to be able to get together again as a family." He told Vanilla, who nodded in a polite, civil fashion. "Fine, I guess I won't make tuna casserole anymore."

"I, uh...have...a little something I made for you." Cheese nervously spoke up, rubbing the back of his head with his stubby little "hands". "It was hard to hold the pencil, but I did it! I made a poem!"

"Oh, really?" Dr. Eggman inquired. "I'd **love** to hear it." He said as Cream and Vanilla turned to look at Cheese the Chao, who cleared his throat before he began to read.

"My father's hands and eyes so soft,

His love it keeps our souls aloft,

For all within autocracy,

Give praise to his divinity,

And I'll one day walk the path like he,

To uphold justice, liberty.

His kindness grew in leaps and bounds,

You feel it in the sky and ground,

His smiling eyes gaze o'er our land,

O'er every woman, child and man,

And as I feel him take my hand,

I squeeze it tenderly.

He gently tucks me into bed,

And bids me rest my sleeping head,

His gentle nature seems so strong,

I pray he'll guide me all life long,

Upholding right and punishing wrong,

And one day this poem will be song

And I'll be just as he...

With hands so soft and gentle."

"Oh, it was beautiful." Vanilla said tenderly, nodding.

"That was such a wonderful poem." Cream complimented. "You sure have daddy's personality spot-on!"

"I'm glad you liked it." Cheese said.

"I didn't like it. I LOVED it." Dr. Eggman said happily. "You know I'm always here to hear you out. You're a source of absolute joy, Cheese, for all of us."

Cheese nervously blushed. "Awww, thank you, daddy." He said. "I wish half the population was nice as you. The world would be a better place!"

MEANWHILE, NOT THAT FAR AWAY...

"Ah, if only more people had the skills and training I'd had as a little dibbun." King said wistfully, slicing and slashing with his scimitar, dancing around Metal Sonic. "The world would be a better place!

"I can make the world a better place if you'll just STAND STILL!" Metal Sonic snapped, lunging at him with his claws, but missing. "Hmm. Not bad for a naïve fool!"

"Thanks for the compliment." King remarked, his sword cutting into Metal Sonic's side and...sticking.

_Uhoh._

"You organics might be brave, but you sure are easy to trick." Metal Sonic commented, one arm elongating out, transforming into a thick, powerful serpent made of metal, with beady red eyes gleaming. It wrapped itself around King's neck, hissing as King frowned. "Ha! This is a trick you can't imitate. How ironic, being killed off by one of your own kind...and don't bother trying to "speak" to it in your native tongue, it's mindless."

King's golden eyes narrowed darkly as Metal Sonic held up his claws, the scimitar falling to the ground. "So, what shall it be? Bitten to death? Strangulation? Decapitation?" He wondered.

"How about "Snakes have a unique bone structure and can bend their bodies"?" King remarked, one arm twisting and hitting the "joint" of Metal Sonic's arm with a harsh CHA-THRACK, making the "snake" around his neck get disconnected as it dissolved away and King leapt back. "For somebody who enjoys mocking organics, you don't know much about them." He added, kicking the scimitar.

SCHA-SLICE! It struck through Metal Sonic's leg and cleaved it off, and the robot fell to the ground, gasping in pain as King pulled the scimitar back up, stepping back and holding it in a threatening manner. He noticed there was a loud THA-THOOOM sound as Metal Sonic fell. How...odd. Could it be?

"You..._little_..." Metal Sonic snarled, his arm and leg slowly regrowing before King's eyes. "That was a dirty trick...you sure know a lot of them..."

"I thought somebody like you would APPRECIATE dirty tricks." King commented. "I wish to fight fair, but I doubt you'd do the same for me." He held the scimitar up. "I've been in training since I was old enough to hold a knife. I'm skilled in the art of war. Come quietly and I will not harm you anymore. I prefer to be kind."

"Don't...you...look...down...on...ME!" Metal Sonic snarled. "**You stupid organic**!"

Meanwhile, The Biolizard found itself surrounded on two sides by Sonic and Tails. "What the?"

Who promptly clapped their hands, making a large hole in the ground appear below the Biolizard, who fell all the way down.

"What's that, Lassie? Timmy's stuck in a well?" Sonic wisecracked as he folded his arms, grinning...

CLOMP!-CLOMP!-CLOMP!

The Biolizard clawed it's way back to the top, turning on Sonic. "I **SAW** THAT EPISODE." He said, frowning.

"Eep." Sonic said as the thing snorted in his face, blowing him back.

"You should be lucky I'm not allowed to eat you! Outta the way!" The thing demanded.

"How about NO!" Sonic snapped, rising off the ground, his body glowing gold as lightning crackled around him. He raced forward, fist held high, punching the thing back. But a moment later, it's tail shot out, and it slammed Sonic and Tails through the air, and they landed with a THA-THUMPA near King.

"Oya-oya! Watch where you're landing, we're in the middle of-" King began, turning his head.

He then ducked just in time to avoid a slash from Metal Sonic, cutting through the robot's stomach. He calmly held the scimitar up, aiming for the thing's head as it lay on the ground and-

Transformed into Elise's tear-filled form. King's eyes widened, a horrified expression on his face as "Elise" sneered, a completely alien feature to her face. "Only "human", alright." Metal Sonic said coldly. **"IGNORANCE, ****NOW****!"**

The Bio-Lizard turned on King, mouth opening up as Sonic rushed forward to grab him out of the way, and Metal Sonic realized his folly. He couldn't let **Ignorance** swallow up the bubblebutt! He reached out...

"SONIIIIIIC!" Tails screamed.

A loud roar. Suddenly Sonic felt something...it was like his hands were being covered in dark, bloody, rusted metal gunk, somebody was pouring burning hot salt into an open wound on his body, and he screamed and screamed in pain, screamed for-

...

...

...

...One leg of Metal Sonic was left behind. A large hole in the ground where they'd been. One outstretched paw/hand of Tails vanished.

But beyond that...Sonic the Hedgehog, King the Serpent and Metal Sonic the Golem...were gone.

"...no." Tails whispered, tears brimming in his eyes as he looked over at the closing segmented mouth of the Biolizard, who nervously grinned.

"I...oops. I...swallowed..." He murmured.

"YOU BIG JERK!" Tails screamed, bashing the thing on the head with his fist over and over. "BRING-HIM-BACK! BRING-HIM-BACK!"

"I can't, I swallowed." The Bio-Lizard said lamely. "...I..." He nervously bit his lip. "Oh, our designer's gonna be maaaaaaad." He mumbled.

"No...no..." Tails murmured, slowly hovering down to the ground.

And then he began to scream.

...

...

...

... "The neighborhood will get suspicious if I've got lights on all over the place. Especially considering there's a curfew in effect." Dr. Thorndyke informed Elise as she lay in his bed. "For now, you sleep here and I'll take the couch."

"I...I have to go help him, I...I need to help him." Elise murmured, sitting up in the bed.

"What can you do in your condition? Think this over." Dr. Thorndyke said firmly. "You need your rest."

"..." Elise bit her lip, feeling the spot where her arm had one been, tears brimming in her eyes as she flopped to the bed, weeping openly.

Meanwhile, Shadow had just hung up the phone, turning to Rouge. "Let's go-"

"Go where?" Thorndyke inquired, entering the room a moment later.

"I thought it was time I paid a visit to the dear old doctor and make a housecall of my own." Shadow informed him, eyes narrowed. "I have a date with Eggman, and I'm sure it'll be a date to DIE for."

"Your wounds haven't healed yet and you're already looking for trouble?"

"The head of our government could be a golem. I cannot let that slide. Besides..." Shadow folded his arms. "Think about it. We just left a bunch of young idiots on the battlefield. They might not have a prayer...but I know Sonic will give his all." He frowned slightly. "...I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if I didn't try my hardest with this either."

"Yes." Rouge insisted. "We have to set good examples as adults. But you know..." Rouge laughed slightly. "If Sonic found out you're treating him like a kid, he'd kick your ass."

"I'm just paving the way forward. And besides, I..." Shadow bit his lip, thinking of Mighty's proud face. "...there are other reasons too."

...

...

...

... "Hmm." Shadow looked up at the enormous tunnel that led up to the main headquarters of the autocrat's central office. "Is this a stairway to Heaven or the steps into Hell, I wonder? Rouge-"

"I'm NOT staying behind."

"What?" Shadow said, whipping his head around as the night air chilled him to the bone. "Fine, I'll ORDER you to stay. I don't want you to put yourself in harms way."

"You're not going to win this argument, sir." She insisted with a bit of a grin. "I'm stubborn. I learned from the best."

"...ah." Shadow smiled slightly. "I promise. I'll be right back." He insisted, heading up the tunnel.

"Very well, Shadow. Give 'em hell!" Rouge called out.

Soon Shadow was sitting in a chair across from a green-feathered, curly-haired, yellow-beaked bird by the name of General Speedy Kukku. "You're Colonel Shadow, correct?" Kukku inquired, rubbing his chin. "Why haven't you reported in to these headquarters sooner? You spend so much time at your own station."

"I'm sorry, sir. I've been so busy since I was first transferred here." Shadow said, saluting. "I'm sorry that now, late at night, is the only time I'm able to come in."

"Ah, it's really not a big deal. Tell me, how's Vanilla doing? I've heard there's been talk she and Dr. Eggman wish to patch things up with each other."

"She's as spirited as always sir." Shadow informed him.

_Checkmate._

"_Darn. That's twelve times in a row I've lost to you." Shadow mumbled, shaking his head as Vanilla leaned back in her chair._

_"Yes, but you were very close. Once you were sure you had won, you blew it. You didn't finish strongly, you see. You need to learn to be a bit more...ruthless. You're too much like Speedy."_

_"Speedy?" Shadow inquired, looking confused._

_"General Kukku. He took over after his father's post after his father died. He's too...sentimental. Back in the war, he was always looking over his wounded men on his own, he got so concerned whenever they were hurt. He always spread his forces to thin because of that."_

_Shadow raised an invisible eyebrow._

_"He's been riding on his daddy's coattails for years."_

"WHAT? That old hag!" Speedy snapped. "I got this position because of my concern for my men, not because of my father! That...that...WIIIIITCH!" He snarled, slamming his fists into his desks. "I-oh...uh...er..." He nervously gulped.

"It's alright. He told me that if you did get irritated by this, you were still a just man, and I could depend on you."

"Heh. She can read people like a book, can't she?" Speedy said cheerfully, motioning for Shadow to follow after him. The two headed down the hallway, with Speedy leading Shadow. "We should make it in time for the meeting with the other Generals. Tell me...have you gotten used to Central, yet?"

"Unfortunately, no. I try to feel like I'm doing good for the people, but..." Shadow mumbled.

"True, true. You need to pay attention to the word on the street, not ALL of it is drivel." Speedy admitted as they approached a double set of doors.

"I've heard that Omega is keeping a bear as a pet, Sonic the Hedgehog's gained two pounds in as many days, immortal beings have popped out of nowhere...even that our autocrat is a GOLEM." Shadow said solemnly.

Speedy's head whipped over in Shadow's direction. Then the two began to laugh madly. "Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! That's...actually not funny." Speedy sighed. "You didn't pick up any of Vanilla's sense of humor, did you?"

"...no."

"Too bad. But like I said, most of it's just mindless drivel." Speedy commented, pushing the door before that open. "But that last one sounds interesting. It's a funny joke, let's talk about it over...tea."

The door was pushed open, and Shadow came face to face with various Generals who were all sitting down, eating tea...and who looked as though...they'd been expecting him. Shadow felt a chill run through his body.

"Here, tell that funny joke again." Speedy asked calmly. "The one about Dr. Eggman being a Golem."

Shadow looked like he wanted to say something, but though his mouth opened slightly...nothing came out. Until he heard a voice speak up.

"Is something wrong, Colonel Shadow?"

Shadow the Hedgehog turned his head to see Dr. Eggman stepping into the room from a doorway at the end of the meeting hall. "If I WERE a Golem, what is the issue? Do you...have a problem...with that?" He inquired.

_So THAT'S it._ Shadow thought to himself, fists clenching. _Mighty...you said that the military was in trouble, but that wasn't entirely it...it wasn't the military that was in danger...it was the military that IS the danger...looks like those truly were...the steps down to Hell..._

Elsewhere, Sonic the Hedgehog awoke...

And found himself floating in a sea of blood, the skull of a human whacking him on the head as a small current pulled it along. Gasping in horror, he quickly shot to his feet, looking around, gazing at the sight of ruins scattered among piles of bones, the scrapped remains of several robots and buildings...and the **blood**...

Blood everywhere with a sky of black mixed with dark purple clouds, that seemed to be in a perpetual storm...the air was hot and humid like it was moments away from a thunderstorm, a salty-iron taste choking the taste buds...what was this Hell? What was going on?

"TAAAAAILS? KIIIIING?" Sonic yelled out. "GUYS? You out there?"

He waded through the blood, continuing to call out. "Hello? HELLOOO?"

"Oh, there you are! Sorry, was hard to smell you what with all this..._YEEEEECHHHH_." King was off in the distance, holding up a small torch he'd made from a bone and a wrapped up-ripped-off piece of his robe. "This place is disgusting. Look at all this blood." His face scrunched up as he walked over to Sonic. "See, this is why I'm glad I'm a vegetarian. Think about all the poor cows and chickens and pigs that have to get ground up into blood froth by the Mcdonalds indust-"

"King, please, I'm having a hard enough time trying to keep my lunch down with the smell alone." Sonic begged, holding one hand over his stomach, the other over his mouth. "And at least I know it's you, with the whole "vegetarian bit"."

"But how do I know you're not imitating Sonic, you metallic fake?" King remarked coldly. Then he grinned. "...tubbaguts."

"WHO YOU CALLIN' TUBBAGUTS?" Sonic yelled, leaping through the air, punching and kicking only to have King block all the strikes with one hand.

"Yes, that's definitely you, alright." King mused. "But where is this place? I know we were swallowed by the Bio-Lizard...look. See?" He pointed over to the side at a large pile of rubble. "That's the house we were in...and there's trees all around...and these fires, they're probably all the work of Shadow from when he tried to turn that huge monster into a deep-fried dish..."

"This is that thing's belly? But...how can it be this big?" Sonic murmured. Suddenly he saw something deposited nearby, floating in the water, soaked in blood...a familiar paw.

"Is that..." King began.

"It's just Tails's hand...the doll his soul is bonded to's hand. This means he wasn't totally swallowed." Sonic said with a sigh of relief, clinging to the hand.

"I do not suppose that he could perhaps, perform the Heimlich upon the Bio-Lizard?" King mused with a sad laugh.

"I don't think there's a hospital with a big enough pump to get us out of here." Sonic laughed.

Then an idea came to him and he began to speak very loudly. "**BOY, I SURE WOULD BE SURPRISED IF I SUDDENLY DEVELOPED TELEKINETIC POWERS! YEAH, IT ****SURE**** WOULD BE A SURPRISE IF ****THAT**** HAPPENED!**"

If there were any crickets in the belly of the beast, they would have started chirping on the spot.

"...life is full of surprises, but never when you need one." Sonic mumbled hatefully.

"Are you there, God?" King prayed. "It's me, King. Hey, listen, could you do me a favor?..."

TEN MINUTES LATER...

"This place is filled with skeletons and buildings." Sonic muttered as they continued walking around the belly of the Bio-Lizard. "...and TV sets for some reason." He mumbled, looking over at the wrecked remains of a plasma TV. "Why do you think that, whenever something doesn't work, his first response is to eat it?"

"I don't suppose you could...I dunno...make an exit out of here like you tried to make a well from before?" King mused.

"...actually that's not a bad idea. I mean, there IS some Earth of some kind beneath all this blood..." Sonic mused, clenching one fist as a loud "WHOOM" echoed through the air, and a circular hole appeared before them. "Okay, here, one moment..." He snapped his fingers and a a small chunk of rock floated up into the air from beneath the bloody sea. "Now we toss it in and wait."

He tossed the rock into the "well" he'd created and they strained over, listening intently.

...

...

...

... "...I didn't...hear it...hit bottom...did you?" Sonic mumbled nervously, slowly turning his head to look at King, who was nervously shaking.

"...no." The snake squeaked out.

"...a wall!" Sonic suddenly shouted.

"Yes, yes!" King said, practically screaming in hysteria. "No matter how big this space may be, if we keep running, eventually we'll each the edge, and then we'll find an exit!"

"Yeah, an exit!"

"EXIT!"

"AAAAAAAAAAA!" They both ran off screaming in one direction, howling like madmen.

Elsewhere, in someplace that WASN'T in somebody else's stomach...

Marine plopped down in front of the small fire that Nack the Weasel had built up in an alley as Omega sat near a trash can some distance away, a big, sorrowful expression on her face. "I couldn't find poor Johnny anywhere." She moaned. "What could have happened to him?"

"You sure he didn't get eaten by a stray dog?" Nack remarked, raising a non-existent eyebrow as he held a marshmallow over the fire.

"...stray..." Marine mumbled.

She promptly began to cry so hard that her tears produced a "sprinkler" effect, shooting everywhere and dousing out the fire. "AAA! I was kidding! KIDDING!" Nack insisted.

Marine wiped her eyes as best she could, sniffling a bit. "I hafta find him. Tabby's smaller than the average koala...and Yakin Shīru can't quite..." She sighed. "It couldn't help 'em. And least of all MY people's arts. My family, the Aussie's, we might all get cool nautical names, but none of us have any real political power...we can't do much for others."

"Is that why you wanted to help out that koala?" Nack inquired.

Marine looked up at him.

"Back when I first joined the military, I wanted to...well...show that I could have enough power to make a difference somewhere. Was that what you wanted? To make a difference to someone? Or to something?" Nack asked, sounding slightly...introspective.

"...perhaps at first I did it out of sympathy, but then...then Tabby became a part of my family. Then he made a difference to ME just as I did to him. I know if he could speak, that's what he'd say." She laughed a bit. "Strewth, Tabby's the only reason I was able tah CROSS that desert!"

"You crossed it for a silly reason. I mean, **immortality**?" Nack remarked, rolling his eyes.

"I GOTTA get it." Marine said solemnly. "If I don't bring it back to the Metatron, gain his trust, my people are gonna get turned into **vegemite** for whatever ruling family takes power! Especially if that SNAKE gets it!" She moaned, hanging her head. "And I HATE vegemite!"

"...you know...there's...not too many police out around this time of night." Omega said quietly, standing up and moving out of the alley. "Are you coming?"

"...oh, you're...helping me..." Marine beamed. "BONZAH! Oh, thank you, thank you, mate!" She said happily. "You're one hell of a bloke!"

"His own people were wiped out in a campaign some years back." Nack whispered to her as Omega turned the alley. "I think that's why he sympathizes with the survival of your family. You're both, in a sense, the "best hope of your kind"..."

...

...

...

... "I...don't...know...how long...we...can keep walking..." Sonic moaned as he and King kept walking.

"...we've been at this for what feels like HOURS..." King mumbled, holding his head in one hand. "...and there's...no sign...of an exit...and I'm so HUNGRY..."

"We get out of this...I'll buy you...your own salad bar..." Sonic promised.

"I...can't...walk...anymore..." King mumbled. "Go on." He insisted, leaning against a long pillar. "Go on without me...I'll...I'll be fine...I'm...really..."

Sonic groaned. "Don't tell me you're giving up."

"I won't tell you, but you'll figure it out eventually...if only I had something to eat..."

"Don't...you keep...green tea...in your robes?" Sonic asked.

"Yes, but I've no wa-" King's eyes widened.

Soon the two of them were sitting on a big, circular slab that had probably once been a mighty column, sipping some green tea while King cooked the belt he had which strapped his scimitar in place for them to eat on a fire Sonic had made. "Heh. Rotisserie style." He mused. "I guess I should consider myself lucky I didn't through this leather belt away. I would have gotten rid of it, but it was a gift from my grandmother, and I didn't have the heart to tell her I was a vegetarian."

The snake then nervously cut through the belt, handing Sonic a piece, and the two began eating up. "...I'm...sorry." He managed to mumble out. "This happened because you were seeking to help me."

"Ah, compared to what my teacher Tikal put me and my brother through, this is kid's stuff." Sonic insisted proudly, swallowing down his "meal". "I just wish I knew where this place is."

"...you're about to get your chance to ask somebody who might know." King whispered softly, his eyes turning to slits. "HE'S coming."

Sonic turned to look in the direction King was looking at, seeing Metal Sonic approach them. "Oh, you. You know, I was hoping maybe as you fell in, your necks would have broken. A 'bot can dream, can't it?"

"Do you know the way out?" King snapped. "I just had to eat half a leather belt for dinner. I'm in no mood for your snarky comments."

"There **IS** no way out." Metal Sonic said, holding it's head in one hand, sitting nearby, shaking it's head. "To think, you dragged even ME into this...don't you organics ever think things through? Trying to protect your friend, all sweet and noble and look what you do."

"This is really that big lug's belly?" Sonic inquired, frowning slightly. "What IS this place exactly."

"This is his stomach, and yet not his stomach...do you remember what you felt when you got sucked in?" Metal Sonic inquired. "...you should...you felt it before..."

Sonic's eyes widened. "...wait...could it be...this place is where I met Chaos...the Doorway to the Truth!" He whispered. "...but...but THIS doorway didn't lead me to that white area with the enormous stone door..."

"So the real place is a white abyss of some kind? Interesting." Metal Sonic inquired. "You see...**Ignorance**...was created by our designer, our father. He was trying to recreate the Doorway...trying to reach Chaos directly. Well...he didn't...succeed." Metal Sonic shrugged. "What can you expect, though? Ignorance is one of the sins that are tied to Faith, to Magic and to Science. Ignorance at what little power you might have, or ignorance of the laws that Magic centers around. In his ignorance he sought to act as God, and...failed."

"Your father has enough power to create a Doorway to the Truth? A defective one, true, but still..." King mumbled, looking both horrified and interested. He would want to shake this being's hand...and then stick him like a pig.

"This is something of a limbo...the imprint of his memories from where he was first born weren't enough to fully recreate the doorway, so he made something that wasn't too useful. And now we're stuck here...all we can do is wait...trapped in the darkness...rotting and rusting away..." Metal Sonic murmured.

"...that...that can't be true!" Sonic snarled.

"No...exit?" King mumbled, his body shaking slightly, one hand gripping the top of his head, claws digging in.

"Wait...if I die..." Sonic murmured, his pupils dilating, a horrified look coming onto his features as a coldness gripped his heart, slowly squeezing. "If I die...what is Tails going to do? I promised him we'd get back to normal together..."

He furiously turned on Metal Sonic. "Damn it...just who the hell is your creator anyhow? What kind of sick monster makes something like THIS?" He hissed, gesturing around at the bloody sea. "Is it Eggman?"

"**Cruelty**? Nah, he's just another Golem."

Sonic suddenly had a revelation and his eyes narrowed. "If the autocrat of the Eggman Empire is a Golem, then are you things behind the Shanazaran Campaign?"

Metal Sonic began to snigger madly, laughing. "Ha-ha-ha...HA-HA-HA-HA-HA! Ohhh, I had such fun there! Do you remember the trigger that started the uprising?" He inquired, placing his claws together, an unmistakable look of amusement in his soulless red eyes.

"Yes, a Shanazaran child was murdered in the streets. They practically needed tweezers to pick up the pieces from what I heard." Sonic said, looking disgusted that Metal Sonic thought the campaign was "fun". "The military insisted it was a horrible accident but nobody on their side bought it."

"They shouldn't have. I'm the one who did it." Metal Sonic said proudly.

King's eyes widened, then narrowed in disgust. Sonic's fists clenched, an incomprehensible look upon his features as his body quivered with a mixture of dawning horror and fury.

"The civil war flared up right before my eyes all from just a few good punches." Metal Sonic flexed his claws, looking positively radiant. Had he a tongue, Sonic was sure he would have licked his lips.

Sonic was silent.

"Oh, and the officer that I impersonated? You wanna know what's funny? He was actually AGAINST military intervention in the region!" Metal Sonic went on. "And best of all, he got court-martialed for what he did, and EXECUTED because he couldn't give a decent alibi! Oh, you organics are so easy to manipulate!" He held his hands up. "You all dance so well for your puppet-masters, don't you?"

"So YOU'RE the one who shot that innocent child...YOU'RE the one who caused the Civil War that created a killer of metallurgists...who killed two innocent doctors and made an orphan out of my childhood friend...who turned state alchemists into killers and got innocent Shanazaran citizens slaughtered like dogs in the street..." Sonic muttered, tightly clenching his fist, a golden glow beginning to form around him.

Metal Sonic let out a harsh laugh.

"**YOUUUU**!" Sonic screamed furiously, his fist slamming into Metal Sonic's face, a golden sheen surrounding him as lightning crackled over his body.

SHUDDA-THWOOOM!

The blow would normally have been enough to break through the robot's cheek...at least, that's how it SHOULD have been. But Sonic was suddenly aware that the robot was not even flinching...just coldly staring at him.

"...you...little...RAT." It whispered. "You wanna fight? Fine..." He stepped back over and over, going some distance away from Sonic and King, his body pulsing. I'll show you something interesting...**as a souvenir of hell!**"

"Did you see his footprints when we were fighting in the forest? Or how he bent that tree branch he was standing on?" King whispered to Sonic.

"...I DID see the tree branch. Why?"

"His weight...it's not normal. That form we're used to seeing him in, I think it's a fake...I think his true form is much, much bigger...and we're about to see it right now..."

Before their eyes was a towering, hulking figure that seemed even larger than the Bio-Lizard. It had a draconic, metal-armored body with long spikes running down it's back, and a tank-esque form beneath a muscular torso, with a serpentine tail lashing back and forth. It's mouth was filled with more fangs than a shark, and it had a long, black visor slit with a single reptilian-esque red eye glaring out at them all, and a large chaos emerald clearly embedded in it's "stomach" region.

The tail itself was also spiked and rather segmented, made up of metal armor as the rest of the beast, and the thing had enormous, thick claws that were longer than trees on it's left hand, with a large, crab-like claw/cannon on the right. Several long, thick tubes hung down from the "tank" region, and most horrifying of all, the armor...

The armor was seemingly keeping in PEOPLE, made up of thousands of screaming and sobbing and laughing faces all indented into the metal, all trying to desperately crawl out to freedom. How many souls were trapped in there?

"How could you possibly call this thing a "person created from a Chaos Emerald"?" King murmured in horror, golden eyes widening in terror.

**SEASON THREE ENDING CREDITS!**

(Amy is sitting outside the house on the roof, watching the clouds slowly pass overhead)

_**Meguri megutte mo mata koko de aitai**_

_**hagurenai youni kono te wo tsunagunda...**_

(Amy sits up slightly, looking at a cloud that looks an awful lot like Sonic, grinning slightly at it and blowing it a kiss.)

_**Asahi ga noboru made katari atta ne**_

_**yuuhi ga shizumu made tsunaida te**_

_**kou yatte asu mo asatte mo tomo ni**_

_**ayumou hikari to kage!**_

(Now Tiara and Amy are passing around a photo album that shows embarrassing photographs of Sonic and Tails doing silly things like shooting underwear at each other, rolling around in the mud and playing with their food, laughing at the pictures.

_**Samishige ni mitsumeru machi no naka de**_

_**nukumori wa hitori ja mitsukara nakute**_

_**ai ga konna ni tsuyosa ni naru koto**_

_**shittanda kimi ni deaete hajimete!**_

(Elise is sitting in her room, taking out a small photograph of her and King and David all together at a carnival, with King holding up a large stuffed bear that he won Elise, the young dibbun grinning broadly in front of the camera.)

**_Meguri megutte mo mata kimi ni aitai_**

**_hagurenai youni kono te wo tsunagunda_**

**_hitori ja nemurenai yume wa mirenai kara_**

**_donna fuan mo todokanai tokoro e..._**

(Marine lies back on a hill, looking up at the stars, pulling out a small drawing of her "perfect man", giving it a kiss and grinning broadly at it as her pet Koala pokes it's head out over her.)

_**Hoshi mo nai yoru mo terashi tsuzukeyou...**_

(Sonic, Tails and King all sit together, passing around a photo album of their own...all of collected shots of the GIRLS doing embarrassing things. They all laugh it up.)

_**Doko made mo yukeru kimi to nara**_

_**hitori ja arukenai michi mo futari nara**_

_**hana uta utai nagara arukerunda**_

_**kimi ga ireba shiawase...**_


	22. A Strange Kind of Reunion

_Science centers around explaining how the world works in terms that all can find common. _

_Faith is about explaining WHY the world works in terms one cannot ignore. _

_The two are rarely compatible. And Magic's foundation is found in faith. The elements of the world, the manipulation of time and space, the healing of any and all wounds, these are possible with magic, as long as you remember..._

_All magic has a price._

_Nothing...is free..._

**OPENING CREDITS: SEASON FOUR!**

(Sonic and Tails stand together, surrounded by a large ring, in their childhood forms. A bright light flashes, and they are transformed into their adult selves, looking defiantly at the camera.)

_**Owari naki tabi no tochuu tachidomarisou na toki**_

_**fukai tameiki kobosu bokura wa...**_

(Sonic and Tails find themselves now surrounded by friends, family and enemies, who all look up at the sky, as bright light begins to shine from above...)

_**Tsukamikakete wa mata hanareteita**_

_**demo ima wa mou nanimo osoreru koto wa nai!**_

(Sonic rushes across the ground, striking through the air at the transformed Metal Sonic as Tails grabs ahold of a large, burning frame, tossing him through the air at the Bio-Lizard. Sonic manages to dodge an oncoming metallic series of spikes shot out from a shadowy figure some distance away, only to have King slice the spikes in half.)

_**Kokoro o tsunagu tsuyoi kizuna wa**_

_**keshite hodoke wa shinai sa**_

_**sagashitsuzukete tadoritsuita**_

_**kono basho de period ni...**_

(Sonic raises his fist into the sky along with Tails and the others, who raise theirs one at a time as the camera pans out to show them silhouetted against a rising sun.)

_**Kanashimi ikari chikara ni kaete**_

_**unmei wa sugu soba ni...**_

**Episode Twenty-One:**

**奇妙な種類の再会****!**

**One Strange Kind of Reunion!**

"Ho-ly-crap." Sonic gasped as he jumped away to avoid the strike of the large, segmented tail that this Metal Overlord now had. "That thing is..."

"This...appearance..." Metal Overlord growled, slashing at Sonic with his claws, forcing the **Blue Blur** back a few feet. He then raised his left arm cannon, as a swirl of dark blue energy began to form, transforming into a powerful beam. Sonic quickly jumped up through the air, a green aura of wind propelling him away. "This...appearance...don't look...don't look at me, don't look at me!" He called out in a twisted, sing-song voice.

King raced across the sea of blood, jumping over the tail as it swung towards him, diving underneath the large, hovering body and jumping up. SCHA-SCHLISH! Dark motor oil dribbled out of an enormous cut and Metal Sonic howled as King rolled away to safety, turning around, twirling his scimitar. "Sonic, now!" He called out.

"You little ANT!" Metal Sonic snarled, one claw shooting out, striking King across the chest and knocking him into a pillar with a CHUNKA-CRACK. The pillar shattered, King's eyes widening in pain as he gasped, falling into the sea of blood below.

"You think you're funny, huh?" Sonic snarled, his body shimmering with golden light as lightning crackled around him. Holding up a charged fist, he surged forth, towards the thing's back to get in a good strike that would hopefully make the thing bend in half-

_"Kill...me." _A voice sobbed.

Sonic's fist was now inches away not from a smooth metallic frame, but from a face pressed up against metal that was moving as smoothly as liquid, seamlessly churning and squirming, hundreds of faces all pressed up to look at Sonic. One of those faces's "eyes" gazed right at him, it's face wracked with pain, it's voice sobbing. _"Kill...me...please...please...kill...me..."_ It begged.

"I...I..." Sonic whispered, eyes widening in absolute horror. The speaker couldn't have been much older than HE was. And then a thousand other voices began to speak along with the other face, their visages pressed up tightly, as if desperately hoping Sonic could hear them.

"_Mommy, why does it hurt-"_

"_Come over here, please-"_

_"Help me, help-"_

"_I don't want to be here anymore-"_

"HEY!" King rushed forward, grabbing Sonic by the collar and tugging him away in time, slashing at the metallic hide of the Metal Overlord, who angrily slashed at them, missing. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Those are PEOPLE in there...begging for help..." Sonic murmured, head hanging, eyes wide in horror as his hands gripped his knees.

"Those AREN'T people." King insisted, frowning at Sonic. "That thing in front of us is nothing more than a monster Come to your senses!"

"How do you like this power?" Metal Overlord laughed.

"_Give me back my child-"_

_"Mommyyyyyy-"_

"_Dad, please-"_

_"I...want to...I want to die, I-"_

_"Heeeelllp uuuuusss-"_

"STOP IT!" Sonic roared suddenly, gritting his teeth, rushing around the Metal Overlord as it regarded him with cold-hearted amusement.

"_Hurts...it hurts-"_

"_Somebody please-"_

_"Dadddyyyyy-"_

"_I don't like being here-"_

"**I SAID STOP**-" Sonic snarled, his fist raised high, sparkling with lightning.

_"Brother dear..."_

Sonic's fist hovered in mid-air, an all-too-familiar voice echoing through the darkness, his insides turning to ice, his body freezing. Oh no.

"_Can...we...play now?"_

No. _Maria_...

"I'm done playing around!" Metal Overlord growled, his segmented tail shooting forward, constricting around Sonic and then tossing him hard at the ground.

THA-BWAM!

"GAAAAH!" Sonic screamed, curling up into a ball, pain racking his body as the Metal Overlord stood over him, an unmistakable sneer on it's face. Sonic hit a large chunk of ruins, his face turned to gaze upon a strange piece of wall. It showed off some stars in a magic circle, all pained various colors, almost glowing in the sunlight with several symbols stationed at certain points...atop them...

No, wait. It was upside-down. Above them was a figure that seemed to be...falling, yet desperately trying to grab ahold of the stars that were around him. Cast down, and still trying to grab all it could...

Unfortunately he didn't get the time to examine it more closely, because a moment later, the Metal Overlord draped it's head down over him, fanged maw opening as it's "tongue" sloughed out...a tounge made unmistakably of the meshed-together bodies of dozens of innocents. Hands and faces and arms all squirming around, eyes wide with pain, human, fox, rabbit, hedgehog, lizard and more all reaching out, grabbing Sonic's body.

"_You cannot fathom my pain-"_

_"It hurts so much-"_

"_Let's die together-_

_"Come over here with us-"_

"SONIC! GET UP!" King yelled at him. "You big...GAH!" He rushed at Metal Overlord, but the thing batted it's tail at him, knocking him through the air, continuing it's twisted meal...

...

...

...

... "Oh, this thing?" A brown-haired human remarked, looking a picture of a little koala over.

"Yes, his name is Tabby. Have you seen him?" Marine nervously inquired, rubbing the back of her neck, tracing a small circle in the ground with her foot.

"Oh yes, I saw it." The hazel-eyed human commented, nodding his head as he sipped an Icee with his other hand. "It was over by that run-down factory a little while ago. He was with this fox that had two tails."

"Fox that had two ta-CRIKEY!" Marine gasped. It couldn't be...the one from before who'd been with that bubblebutt? The one who'd tried to hurt her benefactor?

"Thanks for helping me." She told the human.

"No problem." Nick said. "Thanks for allowing me to make an author avatar cameo."

"Huh?"

"See ya." Nick said, walking off. Marine took off herself, renewed purpose in her eyes.

"Oh, that big, insensitive JOIK!" She shouted, waving her fists in the air as Omega walked behind her, looking as nonchalant as a robot could. "That FIEND! That heartless BEAST! Kidnapping poor lil' Tabby! I'll bet he's stuffed her in his tuckah bag!"

"...tucker...bag?" Omega inquired. Marine had put the decals of some flowers over his symbols to "hide" him and had painted his red chassis green and gold, the symbols of Australia's flag.

"HE'S PROBABLY GONNA EAT HER!" She sobbed.

"He can't 'eat' anything." Omega commented. "He's...well, he doesn't eat meat, or anything el-"

"Oh, a vegetarian. Well...still..." Marine mumbled. "Kidnapping poor lil' Tabby!" She complained. "He's-"

"He's right over there." Omega said, pointing into a nearby alley. "Along with...that GOLEM?" it exclaimed, eyes wide in surprise.

Tails was standing in an alley with the Bio-Lizard by his side. The tegu lizard was nervously looking up at the koala on his shoulder. "You sure I can't just have a-"

"Nope. Not even a nibble." Tails said, shaking his head. "Now take me to your leader!" He said dramatically, pointing upward.

"A golem?" Marine inquired.

"They possess a regenerative ability that make them practically immortal." Omega whispered as he and Marine hid, watching Tails follow the Bio-Lizard through a vent entrance in the side of a building.

"Well, that sounds right up my alley!" Marine insisted. "Let's go nail 'em!"

They carefully followed them to the vent shaft, which led down a small stairway to a metal gate. And it was there that Marine halted in her path, taking in a sharp breath, eyes turning to slit pupils of fear.

"What's wrong? You seem nervous." Omega inquired.

"...I...I can feel...something's felt wrong since the moment I entered this country...a feeling that...something was out of place. But right here...at this spot...it's like hundreds of bugs are crawling round right unda my FEET..." She whispered.

Well...I don't know about bugs, but there were three people...or rather, an animal, a golem and a person, walking underneath them through a long, dark hallway. Tabby nervously clung to Tails's body with all his might, shivering.

"What's wrong? Are you cold?" Tails asked him.

The koala shook it's head. No, not cold. It felt...diseased. Like every step they took deeper into the dark recesses of the hallway was making them more and more filthy.

Tails felt odd too. Though he could not feel 'hot" or "cold", he could feel something now. An unease. A disturbance of his soul that-

They rounded a corner and Tails found himself in a sewer-esque system that was all-too-familiar. In fact, it reminded him of where Selfishness had taken him along with those chao. He turned around to get a better look at-

Skulls. Skulls and bones littering the ground.

"EEEYAAGGGH!" Tails jumped a few feet in the air, clinging to the wall tightly as the Bio-Lizard blinked up at him. "What the heck is this place?"

"Oh, that's just the Gatekeeper's work. Those things won't touch ya if you're with me, though." The Bio-Lizard said, shrugging.

Tails nervously glanced up, catching sight of many unblinking, unnaturally glowing eyes that were hiding in the darkness behind open grates above.

"...I feel so much safer..." Tails muttered, quickly dropping down from the wall and following after the tegu lizard, Tabby, shaking like a leaf. "You said this person is your designer, your "daddy", right...and he'd know where the people you swallowed go to?"

"Oh, he knows EVERYTHING." The Bio-Lizard bragged. "He's a million times wiser than the Doctor and a hundred times cooler too. Too bad he doesn't have a Sonic Screwdriver. Everything's better with a Sonic Screwdriver."

"...brother, please just be alive." Tails thought to himself.

...

...

...

...Sonic was now trapped inside of the Metal Overlord's mouth, surrounded on all sides by the wailing, sobbing, laughing faces of the souls that comprised it's "tongue", with the faces of others gazing out of the dark recesses of the thing's throat. It was hot and muggy, a stench like that of a decayed attic lingering around and filling his nostrils.

He coughed slightly, being twirled around by the tongue as the voices continued to speak in those distorted, tortured tones.

_"Die together...let's die-"_

_"So tired, want to sleep, want to sleep-"_

_"Hurts...hurts..."_

_"I want to go home, I want to-"_

Then...a light off in the distance...near the very bottom. Sonic's looked more closely, seeing a grey-colored Chaos Emerald. Yes, Golems had chaos emeralds at their core, and to think, after all his searching, there was one right there, off in the distance like a star, shining-

Off in the distance like a shining star...

Suddenly his mind made a connection. He thought back to the ruins he'd seen a short time ago...ruins of stars displayed in a circle...seen one before...at BABYLON.

BA-BAM!

"GAAAAH!" Metal Sonic howled in pain, one large pair of fangs being kicked out to the ground, gasping.

"Lemme out, you idiot! I just figured out how to get us all out of here!" Sonic roared from inside his mouth, making King and Metal Sonic blink in surprise.

Meanwhile, Marine dropped down from atop the falling body of a winged, black-scaled chao, it's form twitching slightly as it lay next to countless slayed others. Omega lowered his claws, the dark energy dripping off of them as the chao he'd just blasted fell to the ground, charred to it's bones like the others that had charged him.

"What ARE these things?" Marine inquired.

"Chao. Creatures created unnaturally through magic." Omega told her.

"GRRRRR..."

They turned their heads, seeing the sight of a huge, hulking chao with a figure like a bull, horns sticking out the side of it's cheeks, three golden eyes glinting as it flexed it's claws, rushing forth at them.

"Unnatural is puttin' it LIGHTLY!" Marine yelled out. She held out a slip of paper with blood writing on it, tossing it through the air. It stuck itself to the thing's forehead, making it blink as Marine clapped her hands.

SCHA-TWHULPA!

The head splattered open like a ripe melon, revealing a disgusting-looking "stem" left behind as the body hit the ground, Marine quivering. "Ugh...that feelin' is even stronger now, mate." She told Omega. "Something is underneath us...something that feels like...PEOPLE?"

"See, our designer made ALL of us!" The Bio-Lizard kept braggin'. "He made me and Sonia, Metal Sonic...all us Golems! He's so smart. He's a million times wiser than the Doctor and a hundred times cooler too. Too bad he doesn't have a Sonic Screwdriver..."

"...what the?" A form sat up from his desk, eyes widening slightly. He then composed himself, folding his hands in his lap, looking intrigued. "...hmm. Somebody's coming."

MEANWHILE, QUITE SOME DISTANCE AWAY...

"My grandfather, Gerald...he's the only family I ever had besides Sniveley. I don't remember the names of my parents, or their faces." Dr. Eggman said, holding his hands behind his back, looking out the window of his office, memory clouding his eyes. "I don't even remember if they're the ones who gave me my OWN name. But I remember...the white room. Yes, and I was not the only baby there. There were dozens of us.

If I was abandoned, or sold, I don't remember. But I also remember that question... "Who will be the one to take charge of this country", that's what that white-haired echidna asked of us. And his eyes...so dark..."

Dr. Eggman frowned slightly, then went on. "We were "prospective", apparently. All of us, they said, had the potential to one day be the leader of Mobius. We were all educated, trained in the arts and sciences...our bodies honed in the ways of war. Marksmanship...swordsmanship...and I excelled in battle."

_The clanging of rapiers as a young, red-haired human slashed and sliced against a blond-haired one. It was a dance...in and out, back and forth. Partners, that's what they were. Partners in a dance macabre, each move had to be perfectly in sync or-_

_SCHA-SCHLUCK!_

_"AAUUGH!" The blond-haired human fell to the ground, gasping in pain as other prospective shrunk back in fear, the red-haired human nervously dropping the sword to the ground, taking a step back..._

_A white-haired echidna patted him on the shoulder, a glint behind his glasses, his metallic gloves feeling cool against the red-haired soldier's shoulder. "Don't worry. He was just a pawn, there to help you reach your goal." He spoke soothingly. _

"I believed with all my heart that I would be the one to rule this country. So I endured all the hardships that were flung my way. And...unfortunately...I learned the hard way that before I could change...I had ONE more hardship to endure..."

_He was tied down to a table, and found himself nervously sweating. "Er...what is this?" He asked, looking at the straps that held him down._

"_Just make yourself comfortable." The echidna doctor insisted. "It'll all be over soon."_

_He turned his head. He saw the many bodies piled up within the room next door. Their guts spilled out from their mouths onto their chests, their eyes wide, never to close, some were still twitching-_

_He remembered a scream forming in his mouth. "What are you people doing? Those bodies!"_

_"You're number 12." A voice spoke up._

_He turned to see a figure floating nearby...an unusual being..._

"_Will you be the one who accepts it? Who will take on my "Cruelty"?"_

_A liquid was stuck into his bloodstream, sparkling like a icy blue crystal..._

"A chaos emerald contains an inordinate amount of energy, and is composed of the souls of many people. If placed within a human body or a "sapient" or "robotic" form, it can be met with rejection as it tries to take over. But luckily, my body did not die. I survived... I became the autocrat of this empire."

"..." Shadow was sitting in a chair across from Dr. Eggman, absolutely silent.

"Because I had a soul of my own when I was injected, I overcame the Chaos Emerald, you could say. Only one soul remained at the end. I "won out". There is only one spirit within me...that, and the feeling of cruelty." Dr. Eggman explained.

"Which is, of course, why you're telling me all of this, knowing that I won't be able to tell the populace the truth." Shadow commented coldly.

"I've always said to my subordinates you were a smart one." Dr. Eggman said cheerily.

"If you were originally a human, why can't you live AS a human, and not as a golem?" Shadow asked quietly.

Dr. Eggman turned to look at him. "That's impossible. This body transcends a human one. I'm much faster and stronger than an average being, and far smarter too." He walked towards Shadow, folding his arms. "Just as your kind are proud in being who you are, so is my kind. We too have pride in our abilities as Golems. Sonia, whom you killed...she too died, proud to be a Golem..."

Shadow frowned at this. "Hrrrrm..."

...

...

...

... "Here." King said, tightening the bandage on Sonic's arm. "That'll keep the blood from leaking out." He offered. "I might not know healing magic, but at least I know first aid."

"I'm just glad you didn't have to do CPR." Sonic laughed. "For all I know, you could be poisonous!"

King grinned good-naturedly. "Well, I AM venom-fanged. So the choice is between taking your chances with me or-"

"I would never do CPR on you in a million years." Metal Overlord snapped. "Now can you PLEASE explain how we are to get out of this stinkhole?"

"Fine. See the ruins around us? Like those?" Sonic pointed at the mural he'd been looking at before. "That was part of a mural I saw back at Babylon. On the mural was a dragon...traditionally, guardians of treasures, in this case, a treasure of knowledge, since there was the symbol of a book on the other one. And the stars represent Heavenly Knowledge. I thought it was much like the circle I saw in the Fifth Laboratory where they made Chaos Emeralds, but...it's different."

"Wait. The circles they used to try and create Chaos Emeralds...like...trying to imitate Life Magic? Bring somebody back from the dead?" King inquired.

"Not quite. If a person's soul is gone from this world, if it isn't lingering around, it cannot be brought back. Magic has a price...and me and my brother were trying to buy something that was reserved for somebody else. We paid a different kind of price." Sonic mumbled. "Only _Bios_ or _Zoe_ can bring back the dead, and even THEIR scope is limited. But this mural gave me an idea...suppose..."

He turned to Metal Overlord and King. "Suppose I tried to bring back somebody that was already alive. Performed the ritual I did to bring back my mother on myself? It would still be an attempt at reaching across to the Other Side. We would get transported to the Doorway, I'm sure of it." Sonic informed them all. "And since the Bio-Lizard is a False Doorway, this means that he'll have at least SOME connection to the real thing. We'll be double sure of success."

"So you open up the doorway and we jump through?" King asked. "You're really sure trying to bring yourself back to life when you don't need to will work?"

"What do we have to lose?" Sonic asked calmly, with a bit of a grin. "But one more thing..." He turned to look at the Metal Overlord. "There's something I want to ask you. The figure. The falling figure on the mural. Do you know what it represents?"

"No..." The thing said, frowning.

"It represents somebody that had been a "perfect being". But he was cast down from Heaven. Even so, he continues groping, seeking to grab all the power that he can, as if hoping to climb back up from Heaven on the backs of the stars he can snatch from the sky." Sonic said softly.

"What a ballsy thing." King said, frowning. "Trying to escape that kind of judgment, and taking advantage of others to regain something you don't deserve to keep!"

"It would be one thing if this was just a piece of art. But this isn't just a piece of art. Take a good look at the figure."

King and Metal Sonic gazed intently at the figure...and saw that there were words transcribed into the being. Written in many different languages, and-

"...there are...the indentations of...CHAINS around his arms and legs..." King whispered. "...no, not the links of ordinary chains, but...RINGS...rings linked together went into this thing, this was part of a magic spell?"

"A magic spell that took down an entire country!" Sonic growled, turning on Metal Sonic. "So how could a country as prosperous as Bablyon vanish overnight? Simple...**the entire country got turned into one giant Chaos Emerald!**" He hissed darkly.

King's eyes widened. He took in a sharp, pained breath.

"Why do you think there are these ruins here? The one responsible was trying to hide evidence of what he did! And who IS responsible, Metal?" Sonic snarled, wheeling on the robot. "Who was the one that murdered all those millions of people? Who turned an entire population into a Chaos Emerald, who tried to crawl back up to Heaven using the lives of others? Was it your designer?"

Metal Sonic was silent. He said absolutely nothing.

"Your creator made you and the other Golems to recreate the same kind of destruction that befell Babylon, isn't he?" Sonic said, pointing accusingly at Metal Sonic.

"Well, blue bubblebutt, take us out of here and I'll tell you everything." Metal Sonic said calmly, looking amused. "Now why don't you go ahead and use this to help you cast the spell? You've not got SOME mastery of the elements, but not enough to the spell, am I right? You don't have control over Time and Space which you so desperately need. Well, luckily, this will help you "cheat"..." Metal Overlord said, pointing at the chaos emerald embedded in his body.

"...all those people in you...all of them are souls of Babylonians, aren't they?" Sonic asked softly.

"Does it VEX you?" Metal Overlord said softly. "These are beings whose bodies and minds dissolved into dust eons ago. They exist only as energy to be used. They don't even remember who they used to be. Don't tell me you..." He frowned, seeing Sonic flinch. "Is that...PITY I see in your eyes? Such a typically useless organic emotion."

He shook his mighty head, speaking condescendingly. "You just want to recognize them as "people" because your brother, who's in a similar bind, is a person in your eyes. Would you hesitate to feed coal into a fire because you felt sorry for the tree that perished long ago to give you firewood? These people can't go back to being what they were!"

Sonic hung his head slightly as King turned away, folding his arms.

"Use LOGIC, not EMOTION, to delineate what measure a human is, metallurgist." Metal Overlord said coldly.

Sonic was silent for a few moments. Then he sighed, folding his arms and turning to the ground. "Let's get to work. I've got to make a circle indentation..."

He crouched down into a ball, curling up, his spines rising as he spun around and around, carving out a circle in the large stone slab he and King and the Metal Overlord were standing on. Finally he rolled out of his "Spin Dash", standing to his feet. "It's ready. Now I just add blood..."

King tossed him his scimitar and Sonic nodded. "King, listen, should anything happen to me, then tell people on the outside what THIS bunch are scheming." He said, gesturing at Metal Overlord as he cut into his finger, dribbling blood all through the ring.

"I don't care what happens to this country." King said nonchalantly, snickering slightly.

"HEYYYY!" Sonic growled.

"There are people you love waiting for you on the outside, right?" King said suddenly, his expression becoming soft, gentle. "You'll soon get a chance tell them **yourself**, right?" He said.

"...okay." Sonic nodded firmly, then turned to the Metal Ovelord, walking over and placing his gloved hand on it's hide, against the pulsing faces beneath. "I'm sorry. I ain't got a choice. I've gotta use you, but I'll try and be gentle about this." He spoke quietly.

"...heh." King smiled as he saw Sonic clap his hands together, the rings on his hands and wrists echoing with a ringing sound as Sonic began to pray.

"I call upon the Seven Spheres, The Seven Heavens, the Four Pillars of Light from Above to hear our prayer...Lord, thou hast been favorable unto thy land, thou has brought back the captivity of Jacob, You have forgiven the iniquity of your people, you have covered all their sin..."

"Look at him." King thought quietly. "A master scientist testing out a very grand theory. A sinner begging for a favor from God. People like him...they have the power to change everything...if only I had that same power..." He added sadly.

"**RIGHTEOUSNESS SHALL GO BEFORE HIM, AND SHALL SET US IN THE WAY OF HIS STEPS!" **Sonic roared out as brilliant white light filled the air, the temperature of the area rising high as streaks of gold and silver flames whirled around and around the threesome. The blood in the ring began to sparkle with a thousand different points of light as millions of colors began to blend together before their eyes...

Then came the rebound. The color of bloody, rusted metal flooded their senses as a loud siren rippled through the air. Their hands and feet and frames began to be covered in bloody, rusted metal protoplasm, burning salt in open wounds...

"Long time no see, huh?" Sonic said softly, looking down at the ground at the gunk that was spreading out, seeing that King and Metal Overlord were disappearing, along with the many faces that had been-

A voice, whispering.

"Thank...you...sir..." Sonic heard a voice say, a look of relief in one of the faces in Metal Sonic's chest...

And then...light.

Beautiful white light filled Sonic's vision and he saw himself standing before an enormous door with beautiful, ornate designs on the front. There were dozens of languages written on the bottom that seemed to repeat the phrase "I am All, All are One".

**"Helloooo."** An all-too familiar form announced, a being made of water before his eyes, hands on "hips" as it stood by the door. Deeply piercing green eyes and three sharp claws for "hands", with what appeared to be some kind of brain floating above it's eyes. It had a "horn" atop it's head and two small protrusions on either side...Chaos himself. **"You haven't come to get back your limbs?"**

Meanwhile, The Bio-Lizard had reached a large door of his own, and was pushing it open. "You're sure he's in there?" Tails asked.

"Oh yeah!" The Bio-Lizard announced.

"...my only lead to Sonic is in here..." Tails thought out loud as the tegu lizard pushed the door open.

But where WAS Sonic? Well...

"**I am guessing you did not intend to land that way." **Chaos inquired, noticing that Sonic was halfway through the "ground", only his butt and legs sticking out. He sighed and walked over to Sonic, giving a hearty tug, yanking him out.

"If you tell ANYBODY about what just happened..." Sonic snapped angrily, rubbing his sore head.

**"Oh yes, only Sonic the Hedgehog would have the sheer audacity to threaten a God. See, this is why I like you. You're funny." **Chaos admitted, nodding his head. **"Uh, by the way...notice...anything...DIFFERENT about this place?"  
**

Sonic blinked, turning behind him and seeing...

"Why are there TWO door...ways..." He trailed off.

A form was sitting before the doorway. A very gaunt-looking, emaciated, bad-smelling form. It seemed sad...as if it had been there for a long time and that it had run out of hope. But it was a form he knew. It was...

It was his brother's true body. It turned around, it's unkempt fur almost covering his beautiful blue eyes as Miles "Tails" Prower's true body blinked slowly, as if scarcely able to believe it's own eys.

"...Miles?" Sonic whispered quietly.

The body of Miles smiled slightly, nodding slowly.

Sonic RAN, but even with his speed, he wasn't fast enough. Rows of rings shot out, hooking around him, slowly dragging him into the doorway. "MILES! Miles, c'mon, grab my hand! C'MON!"

"I can't." Miles's body said softly, shaking his head. "...you're not my spirit." He told Sonic sadly.

"I...I..." Sonic felt tears brimming in his eyes, and he let out a howl of rage and despair as the door closed, Miles slowly waving goodbye, eyes filled with mourning.

**"...he'll be back." **Chaos said simply, eyes closed. **"...yes...he will return."**

BA-BAAAAM! "You're damn right!" Sonic roared, his fist punching a hole through the door as he struggled to keep himself outside of it long enough. "I PROMISE, I'll come back for you! I ain't leaving you behind! **I ****PROMISE**!" He screamed before the rings tugged him back into the dark expanse within.

Elsewhere, Tails's eyes had widened. His mouth hung slightly open, gazing at a figure that was all-too-familiar...a figure that could not possibly BE...a figure that looked all too much like-

"**NiGHTS?"**


	23. The Obligatory Flashback Episode

_Science centers around explaining how the world works in terms that all can find common. _

_Faith is about explaining WHY the world works in terms one cannot ignore. _

_The two are rarely compatible. And Magic's foundation is found in faith. The elements of the world, the manipulation of time and space, the healing of any and all wounds, these are possible with magic, as long as you remember..._

_All magic has a price._

_Nothing...is free..._

**Episode Twenty-Two:**

**今提示：フラッシュバックのエピソード**

**Now Presenting: The Flashback Episode!**

_**Hava nagila, havaaaaa nagila,  
Havaaaaa nagila, venis'meeeechaaaaa!  
Hava nagila, havaaaaa nagila,  
Havaaaaa nagila, venis'meeeechaaaaa!**_

People were singing merrily, twirling around, dancing by a fire as others raised beer kegs into the air, clinking them against each other. One jester-esque being sat on a tree stump by the large bonfire they had, looking into the flames as the dancing and merrymaking continued.

"Hey! Here." A Manx said, holding up beer keg, grinning broadly, young and cheerful, a sparkle in her eye and a spring in her step. "Say "cheers"!" She told the jester.

"Oh, Tiara." NiGHTS said, blinking his cat-esque blue eyes a few times. He took a swig of the beer with a nervous grin, then spat it out. "PFOUGH!"

"Oh, c'moooon." Tiara laughed. "Ya don't drink, you won't get taller!"

"I swear, if I EVER have a son, I'll tell him to never let this PISS pass his lips. How do you people DRINK this stuff?" He wanted to know as Tiara took a long, heart swig, pulling out something else.

"Well how about some hard lemonade instead?" She wanted to know. "Not everyone LIKES Vodka..."

_**Hava neranena, hava neranena  
Hava neranena venis'mecha!**_

_**Hava neranena, hava neranena  
Hava neranena venis'mecha!**_

"This is nice, isn't it?' Tiara asked as she sat near him, smiling at him as the others continued to dance. "It's good to be able to just relax once in a while. Stop and smell the-" She stopped herself, looking at NiGHTS's nostrils. "...sorry. Forgot. No nose."

"It's simply a skin condition." NiGHTS told her. "A common one amongst my kind." He added, shrugging broadly. "At least I don't have green skin. Or strange teeth like some of my friends..." He sighed. "...I do miss them." He murmured.

"They were quite the charmers, eh?" She asked.

"Oh yes, they were somethin', I tell you that!" NiGHTS told her. "And this IS good, y'know? Being able to relax. This country always seems to be at war with everyone..." He muttered, shaking his head. "The people need a break."

"Yes, the Shanazaran Campaign, the insurgencies in the East..." Tiara murmured quietly.

_"Hmmmm. Dr. Snively Robotnik, eh?" Mighty remarked, rubbing his chin thoughtfully as he looked the newspapers before him over. The Wax nodded eagerly, placing another stack down._

_"Yes, apparently he was causing a great deal of trouble by passing off magic as a kind of science that was "breaking through the barriers of human knowledge". He was suckering everybody in Knothole along." The Wax informed Mighty as the two of them sat in the library together, Mighty's eyes peering intently beyond his sunglasses at the articles before him._

_"...man. With the Shanazaran Campaign and all these frickin' insurgencies...the Eastern Region's had it rough, haven't they?"_

_"Not just them, either. It seems there have been issues over in the North and West, too. Border skirmishes and the like." The Wax added, holding up an article in a newspaper from some several weeks ago._

_"They let the bodies hit the floor, and before long, the government's gonna get thrown out the door, that's what's gonna happen." Mighty remarked, eyes flashing._

"At least Nocturne hasn't tried to kick our ass. Personally, I think they'd win. Those guys are MONSTERS." Tiara told NiGHTS as she took a sip of the vodka, NiGHTS knocking back another hard lemonade.

_There are unending skirmishes at the Eastern Border, at the country of Maginary, and to the South at the Jungle Kingdom."_

_"And of course we can't forget Nocturne to the North." Tails added. "It's huge and icy and cold. We've got a nonaggression treaty with them at the moment, mostly because the fabled Ice Cap Mountains keep them from attacking us."_

"This country is so restless. Especially ever since Baldy came to power." NiGHTS commented. He then giggled a bit, slightly drunk. "Though I can't complain. Look!" He laughed, taking his cap off, making Tiara laugh.

There was a single blond "antenna" of hair underneath. Tiara laughed so hard she fell off the log she was sitting on, legs pinwheeling in the air. "That's HILARIOUS!" She laughed.

"Hey!" A young little cat ran up to NiGHTS, holding out her hand, a red gem embedded in her forehead. "May I have the pleasure of this dance?" She asked.

"Oh, look how popular you are!" Tiara managed to laugh out as she sat back on the log. "Unfortunately, he doesn't know how to dance."

"Don't know how to dance? Aw, you STINK." Blaze said, pouting broadly, walking off. "Hey! Silver?" She called out to a silver-furred hedgehog. "Will YOU dance with me?" She wanted to know.

"Ooh, CAN I?" Silver asked, quickly grabbing her hand, twirling her around.

"...you know..." Tiara said quietly, turning to NiGHTS. "...it was around that time that those boys tried to bring back the dead."

NiGHTS's smile faded away. His mouth became a taut line.

"...you shoulda said something to them."

"...what could I have said? I probably would have done the same thing in their place. And besides, it wouldn't change what they have to atone for." He added.

"Harsh much?" Tiara asked.

"...a sin's a sin." He mumbled. "...I learned that the hard way." He leaned back, looking up at the stars in the night sky. "We live our lives trying to choose the lesser of two evils when it would be so much better just to say "no". Much more harder, I admit, but..." He held his head in his hands. "...so much can go wrong when one isn't careful..."

_Miles gasped as he shot up, eyes widening. What...what was going on? What was happening? What had happened to-_

_He could hear his brother's horrified gasps and he turned to see what Olgilvie was staring at...and he saw, with horror, a sight he would take to his grave. It was...was it even remotely a hedgehog? It was perhaps the most horrible, foul thing he'd ever seen. The entire body seemed to be covered in some sort of pasty-white membrane of flesh with red veins running through it, and it was twitching as it lay there, it's quills falling out onto the ground. It tried to reach out to them..._

_And then it let out a death rattle, dying as black blood oozed out from it's mouth, it's head twisting to the side._

_"...I don't...get it..." Miles whispered. "...our technique was...flawless...wasn't it?" He asked, looking over at Olgilvie, eyes widening in horror._

_"It WAS flawless. But...it was us. We...we were the ones who made the mistakes." Olgilvie muttered, shaking his head. "I'm sorry I couldn't bring you back properly." He moaned._

_"What do you mean?" Miles asked._

_Then he looked down at his hands and saw the change that had overtaken him. Saw fur that had been replaced with seamstresses-made quilt work. Saw a small little red gem atop an antennae sticking out of his head. Saw stubby arms and legs and only TWO tails..._

_"...what's...happened to me?" Miles whispered, eyes widening in horror._

_"...that's the only thing I could bond your soul to." Olgilvie stated, whimpering quietly as he held his head in his rusted-over hands. "A doll I found of you, one we made from Metallurgy that summer, remember?" He asked._

"Don't tell me you still blame yourself for what happened to your home? It wasn't your fault what happened at Babylon." Tiara told him.

"..."

"It WASN'T."

"_This is an interesting article." Sonic said, pointing at the large tome that they were examining in their father's old office. The book was entitled "The Complete Idiot's Guide to: Metallurgy", written, interestingly, by one Nicholas ibn Geber Hayyan The Second. "It says "The shining light of God smote Babylon in one night. The powerful shine was seen for miles, and people stopped and gazed, saying "Who was like God to make Babylon vanish? Who can wage war against him"?"_

_Sonic then angrily shook his fist at the author. "WOULD YOU HURRY UP AND GET TO THE PART WHERE WE ACTUALLY __SEE__ THIS HAPPEN?"_

"_**I'm HURRYING, I'm HURRYING! I have OTHER fics that need my attention, y'know!"**_

"_I'll bet Hiromu Arakawa would have gotten it done by-"_

_**CRA-KRSSSSH!**_

"_**Good GOIN', MAURICE. Ya broke the Fourth Wall!"**_

NiGHTS watched as Tiara danced with the children, one hand gripping the log he was now sitting on, the other tightly digging into his own leg as the logs holding up the bonfire fell and the flames reached up higher into the night sky.

"I'm not too surprised they don't mind a bigger fire." NiGHTS said as he stood near NiGHTS, his hands folded in front of his chest. "People are afraid of the unknown. Afraid of the dark. So they don't want to confront it. They want to hide away until it's safe. Until it's light again. But..."

"Buuuuut?"

"It's a temporary solution, though." The other NiGHTS said. "Sigh. Those "naturals". They get so weak. Still...what do you say we make the most of our valued resources, eh, NiGHTS?"

"You don't mind using them for ANYTHING, do you?" NiGHTS asked. "Even when they ought to be dead and buried..."

_"So this is how they made the Chaos Emeralds. Those sick, sick..." Sonic muttered._

_"You don't know the half of it." A voice spoke up._

_Sonic turned his head to see somebody entering the room. A robotic being of all shades of blue with a white/light tan chest and "mouth" region. He had a trident-shaped light blue helm on his forehead with a tan "egg" in the center, and three golden orbs in the center of his chest, matching the golden hue of his eyes._

_"I don't know who you are. But being able to tell all that just by looking at it...not bad." The robot said, nodding his head._

_"And you are?" Sonic wanted to know, raising an invisible eyebrow._

_"Ah. I'm Gizoid Mark I. I serve as the "Watchdog" of this place. It is my duty to rid it of any intruders. I'm not allowed to let anybody who enters this place live." He held one fist up. "Don't think badly of me."_

_"...hey. Tell me somethin'. You've got a SOUL in there...don'tcha? You ain't just a robot. I doubt you're a Shanazaran...so what's the deal?"_

_Gizoid Mark I tilted it's head, golden eyes blinking. "Well, well. I AM impressed." He told Sonic. "So I'm not the only one who had his soul bonded to a "doll"?" He remarked, looking amused._

_"I happen to spar with a "doll" a lot like you all the time." Sonic said with a grin._

_"Allow me to REINTRODUCE myself." The robot said. "The name "Gizoid, Mark I" is the name of the Shanazaran that died on Death Row some years ago...according to the public. In reality, my...associate and I...put him and his brother to death by using their souls to create a Chaos Emerald. Unfortunately there was a rebound...and since we'd failed to put up a good magical barrier around ourselves..."_

_"You were new employees, weren't you?" Sonic asked._

_"VERY. Both he and I had our souls grafted to the robotic bodies of the very people we'd just sacrificed. My true name is Charybdis." Charybdis said._

"What do you expect? Do you honestly think they'll let what happened in Babylon happen here?" NiGHTS asked of the other NiGHTS.

"Let?...HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!" The other NiGHTS laughed uproariously, holding his sides. **"It's already happening!"**

_Mighty was off like a bullet. He opened the door to the archives, clearing aside a large clutter of books that were on a desk, and pulled out a thick pencil from off a nearby desk. Grabbing ahold of a map off the wall that showed off the continent of Mobius, he began to make circles at certain spots._

_"Shanazar...the Chaos Emeralds...these skirmishes...Knothole...then...hmm. HMM." Mighty frowned darkly. "...this...this does NOT look...I need to tell Dr. Eggman about this." He muttered. _

_..._

_..._

_..._

_..."Why don't you cooperate us? You'll get treated to quite a show."_

_"Quite a SHOW?" Big exclaimed. "More like making everyone in this country a giant Chaos Emerald...you've been carving out an enormous ring out of Mobius, all to make a Chaos Emerald...and there's one spot still remaining...up in the North, at Nocturne!" He growled, looking accusingly at Metal Sonic._

"If you knew what happened at Babylon..." Tiara wanted to know, folding her arms, standing before NiGHTS. "...why didn't you tell anyone? WELL?"

"...even if I had...would it have changed anything?"

"What kinda talk is THAT?" Taira wanted to know.

"I've been watching for a long...long...time." NiGHTS said quietly. "...I've seen people make the same kind of mistakes over and over. Not EXACTLY the same mistakes, but...close enough." He murmured. "They're so helpless...all they can do is run as fast as they can. And they are good at running as fast as the wind..." He smiled a bit. "Like my son. Faster than a rabbit..." He whispered.

Tiara folded her arms, frowning a bit.

"_People...they're very fragile...so easily hurt...on the inside and out..." NiGHTS went on. _

_Tails's eyes went wide in shock. "Wh-WHAT?"_

_"Why are you surprised? You've heard of them, right?" White told him, his pink eyes glittering like precious gems. "Golems are artificially created beings. Creations of those who were very holy and close to God. The story goes that when a very holy person strives to approach God, in that pursuit they gain some of God's wisdom and power...one of these powers being the creation of life."_

_"You're lying! Who could have possibly created anything like that?" Tails insisted, feeling a sense of fear running through him. It couldn't be. This wasn't POSSIBLE. Magic could do many things, but this was a matter of creating a flesh and blood person...complete with heart and soul! This wasn't healing wounds or bringing people back that had existed before, this was something much more..._

_What ordinary man could __DO __that?_

_"...I guess you're from the "Show Me" state. You won't believe until you get some proof with your eyes." The albino human snapped his fingers. "Andy!"_

_Andy jumped into the air, swinging an enormous hammer. SCHUDDA-CHULK!_

_The top half of White's head vanished, leaving only his jaw. Tails screamed in horror, but then his scream died halfway when he saw the body calmly lowered itself to show Tails the INSIDE..._

_It was all churning, violent pink energy swirling around, intermixed with sparks of golden dust that trickled out the open neck. No blood...no organs...just that strange, maelstrom of pink energy moving around. The pink energy dribbled onto the floor before, right on the spot, the head began to reform, first forming a skull made of pinkness, then white eyes...teeth...muscles...flesh..._

_White stood there, now fully returned to normal. "Okay, I died once. And OWWW." He rubbed his neck. "I'm gonna feel THAT in the mornin'."_

"Even the strongest of them can die." NiGHTS went on. "I learned that for myself. Nothing lasts forever..."

_"I'm gonna kill you all KINDS of dead!" White promised furiously, spitting some pink chaos energy into Eggman's face._

_"Now then...I wonder...how many more times can you be killed before you die?" Dr. Eggman mused._

_Elsewhere, Tails was leaning against the wall, folding his arms as Toni frowned, still buried deep inside him. "Ohhh, what's taking him so long?" She mumbled. "This isn't right. Can you see how the fight's going?" She asked Tails, who looked out into the darkness, squinting his eyes as best he could._

_"...ahhhh...no." He admitted, shaking his head. "I can't see any-"_

_It was then that a very-injured-looking White came staggering out of the darkness, his lifeblood oozing down his chin and dribbling onto his shirt, his eyes sunken and hollow, his breath coming in ragged pants as he kept on trying to move forward._

_"Mr. White, you're-" Tails began to say._

_SCHLUCKA-SCHUMP! A chunk of head went soaring through the air and White gasped in agony as he fell to his knees, being kicked on his side by Eggman, who clenched and unclenched one fist, holding it up high. "I've been counting. So far, you've died...18 times. I wonder how many more it'll take?"_

_"Dirty old man..." White gasped out._

"Most people don't HAVE super forms...or hair that can stretch for yards...they don't have jaws that can swallow trees whole...don't have technology that's so advanced it might as WELL be magic..." NiGHTS went on. "And they get caught up in the stupidest little things, and don't notice the stuff that matters until it's...what can people do against things like the Golems?" He wanted to know.

"Not give up." Tiara said firmly. "Like HELL we'll give up!" She said, clenching her fists. "Haven't you noticed something ELSE about humans?"

"...yes." He admitted with a grin. "Something absolutely divine..."

_an enormous wall of fire shot through the air, striking into Flippancy, making her cry out in horrified pain, falling to the ground._

_"Well look at me. I finally got you to your knees." Shadow spoke up, standing proudly in the doorway._

_"How...how did you..." She gasped out._

_"I burnt Ray and my own wounds shut. Hurt like hell. Almost passed out. But I made it." Shadow informed her, holding up his fist..._

_A ring carved in blood made visible...a burning scar all-too-clear for Flippancy to see._

_"Creating a magic ring from your own blood-"_

_THA-WHOOOOOM!_

_Another burning, horrifying torrent of flame shot forward._

_"You enjoy coming back from the dead, eh?" Shadow asked coldly, his eyes like steel as he fired over and over at Flippancy's frail form as smoke spiraled around Shadow slowly, almost delicately._

_With each new blast of fire, the flesh on her frame began melting off of Flippancy, chunks of bone being burnt black as the Chaos Emerald within her frame began to crack, her banshee—like screams rising into the air._

_"Well then I'll have to keep killing you until it __**STICKS**__!" Shadow snarled._

_..._

_..._

_..._

_..."You dead, mon?" The being before him asked. One who's entire body was covered in frightening-looking darkness, it's eyes shining like a cat's. It tilted it's head to the side slightly, looking slightly annoyed, slightly confused, slightly amused and slightly interested all at once._

_"Yeah...I'm dead." Sonic muttered sarcastically, managing to get back to his feet and clenching his fists, eyes glinting with burning red fire. "RAAAAHH!" He slammed his fist at this Pitch Black being, attempting an uppercut, only to feel the agonizing burn of knuckles practically shattering. He held his hand, gasping in pain, involuntary tears rising up._

_"No matter how hard you try..." Black grabbed ahold of Sonic's face and tossed him hard at the wall. "You CAN'T beat me!" He snapped as Sonic slunk down to the ground, moaning in pain, legs twitching slightly._

_"You're only making this harder for yourself." Black said softly, walking over to Sonic and kneeling down by him. "Why don'tcha just tell me what I want? I mean, this isn't even FUN anymore."_

_"...th...tha..."_

_"Eh?" Black leaned in more closely, eyes squinting. He held a hand up to his ear. "What was that? "Rosebud"?"_

_"Thanks...all this blood rushing to my head...is actually...making me think things over...I just remembered a little something that might help..."_

_"Help you spill the beans?" Black commented, raising an eyebrow._

_Sonic smirked as he stood back up, panting slightly, wiping his mouth on the top of his hand. "Help me kick your ASS."_

_"There is NOTHING more cliché than last-minute heroics." Black said coldly, throwing a punch at Sonic that rushed towards his head._

_THA-BLAM! Sonic caught the fist...and there was a sudden surge of burning hot energy that seared through Black's body. He staggered back, pinkish energy oozing down onto the ground from his wounded hand..._

_..._

_..._

_..._

_..."...you're nothing more than a doll that walks and talks." Omega said, throwing a rapid series of punches at Tails, who ducked and dived, dodging them as best he could. "Isn't that also the result of Magic? I can't believe your STUPIDITY!" The robot snapped. "Your body's so pathetic, and yet you still have faith?"_

_Tails somersaulted away, landing expertly atop a railroad spire. "It's true, there's a lot of things wrong with this body of mine. But I'm not miserable. My brother gave up the use of his limbs to give me a chance to exist in this world again. If it wasn't for magic, I wouldn't even be talking to you right now, I'd be sitting on a shelf somewhere! Yeah, there's plenty of problems with the art, but..."_

_Tails smiled proudly. "I have...faith...in my brother. And in Magic. And I want to KEEP believing."_

"People...the things they can do in the name of protecting others..."

"_What the?"_

_People suddenly turned their heads to look up at State Metallurgist that was standing atop a large tower, holding out his ring-wristed hands, a twisted grin on his beak, green feathers glistening in the sunlight._

_Bean the __**Dynamite**__** Metallurgist**__ cackled madly as he snapped his fingers, tiny red "firecracker" esque TNT bombs appearing in midair, slamming into the frames of the surprised Shanazarans, screams of pain and horror filling the air as body limbs went flying. A blue-eyed robot's eyes widened, it's red and black-armored body rushing forward on chicken legs..._

"_Get down!" He roared out, quickly pushing Omega away, arms held out, his chest compartment opening up as a brilliant light shone forth, enveloping himself and the dynamite that shot towards him. _

_A large explosion rocked Omega's vision as horrid laughter filled the air..._

"_Dammit..." his brother said, looking down at his brother's eyes, turning on and off, red and grey, red and grey. "He cannot last much longer. I've GOT to do something, I..." _

_He looked down at his chest compartment. Compared to his brother...compared to the others...he'd practically gotten off scot-free...if his brother's Life Ring wasn't so-_

_An idea came to him._

_"...I don't even know if you're listening." The robot whispered softly, looking up into the Heavens. "I can't prove you're there. And maybe it's just because I want to believe you ARE listening that I'm doing this. But isn't that all it's supposed to take? To want to believe? Faith? Please..."_

_He held his black, three-digited hand up. "Give him back...__**he's my only brother!**__"_

_..._

_..._

_..._

_..._

_"Elise, quick, he's one of-" King yelled out, his eyes widening in absolute horror._

_**SLASH!**_

_"__**ELIIIIIISE!" **__King screamed, tears brimming in his eyes._

_"King...my liege...I...can't feel my left arm anymore..." Elise mumbled out, a tear trickling down her cheek. Her voice sounded mournful._

_"Well that's fine, I didn't want you fighting anymore. A gentleman's supposed to look after a lady and-" King began, his polite tone trying to desperately disguise the horror he was feeling over what had befallen his dear Elise._

_"If you perish because of me...then there would be no heir to the throne of the Metatron..." The young woman went on. "If a ruler loses his people, he is no longer a ruler...and if the people lose their ruler, then they too are lost just as he is...for the sake of Soleanna and it's people you CAN'T die."_

_Dr. Eggman slowly moved his goggles up to his forehead, clapping his hands in a slow, deliberate manner._

_"Not bad at all." He admitted quietly. "Not bad at all."_

_Elise had tied her arm to a stray dog that had gone down the dead end instead of them. .._

"Your kind get so noble...so brave." NiGHTS told Tiara. "And no matter how you're beaten down or hurt...time and time again you keep going on."

"And then...someday..." Tiara said.

"What, keep struggling in vain?" NiGHTS asked.

"You never know if you don't **try**, you big dummy!" She said, giving him a harsh, quick whack on the head. "And it's a whole lot better than just sittin' on your ass, knowing what'll happen but not doin' anything to CHANGE it! Do you HONESTLY feel alright with not trying?"

"...what're you getting so whiny about?" The other NiGHTS called out, getting Tiara's attention, making her turn around in surprise. "Even if you DO take action and help out those "naturals", they'll just die out on their own, won't they?" He wanted to know, putting his hands on his hips. "We're all just gonna wind up with nothin'. Naked we entered into this world, and naked we depart it."

"Don't you go quoting scripture at ME, buddy-boy." Tiara snapped, waving her fist in the air.

"Don't you think it's smart to only go after what's **important**, and just leave when you get the chance? Get the hell out of Dodge while the going's good?"

"What kind of thinking is tha-" She began. Suddenly a hand grabbed her from behind, pulling her backwards...into the arms of the other NiGHTS?

"Is that the pangs of a CONSCIENCE I see in your eyes? Such worthless sentiment from you after all these years? Eh...NiGHTS?" The figure asked, reaching up for Tiara's face, peeling away the flesh to reveal the glittering, cat-like eyes below, as NiGHTS gasped in surprise. "Whatever you might think, nobody is going to accept you now. In case you've forgotten, you've become a MONSTER..."

He grinned. "But don't take MY word for it. Guess you're from the Show Me state...you won't believe...until I SHOW you."

He held up a mirror and NiGHTS saw small, tiny faces slowly beginning to bubble up from his skin, eyes vacantly gazing, mouths stretched open in horror as tiny little hands reached out to claw their way out of his-

"GAAAAAAH!" NiGHTS awoke from his dream, grabbing the side of his head, panting as he sat up on the log he'd fallen asleep on. Just a dream...only a dream.

"People are nothing but a resource! If you leave them to themselves, they'll destroy themselves. What need have you to take any action, trying to stop the inevitable? Can you change this reality? Change how weak people are?"

"Of course we can change. We WILL change." A female hedgehog with long purple hair insisted, gently taking NiGHTS's hands, giving them a squeeze, smiling lovingly into his eyes. She brushed one lock of hair to the side as she gave him a tight hug.

"...I..." NiGHTS murmured.

"Yeah, people can be weak. But the reverse is true too. People can be so very strong. And even for those of us that ARE weak...it's for that reason that we try so hard to be stronger. In fact, we're ALWAYS trying to become better, aren't we?" Aleena asked NiGHTS. "The steps we take might seem futile, but with each step we take, we're DEFINITELY building something up, wouldn't you say?" She asked.

"...Aleena..."

_"Those below me protect those below them. We're only average people. We should be able to do at least THAT." The black-furred hedgehog said, folding his arms, a deep, sorrowful expression on his features as Mighty twirled one of his knives before sheathing it back in place._

_"Good goals, my friend." Mighty told him, placing his sunglasses back on, making the light reflect off in an eerie manner. "Of course, if ya wanna go about protectin' everyone in this country, you're gonna need to be at the one the buck stops at. YOU'RE gonna have to be the head honcho." _

_"Yeah, that's how geometric progression works." Shadow said. "...you know..." He turned to look to the far right, seeing Dr. Eggman, Autocrat of the Eggman Empire standing there with his top brass, overlooking the assembled troops, a banner displayed beneath the ledge he was on. "It must feel awfully good being in that seat. But I can't climb up to there on my own, I think."_

_He turned to smirk a little at Mighty. "Would you mind getting your hands dirty?"_

_"Ain't no thang but a chicken wang." Mighty laughed, taking off his sunglasses and dusting them off. "I'll help you go the distance, a'ight? Let's see your idealism change this country."_

_..._

_..._

_..._

_..."Don't tell me. I'm keen to guess." King cleared his throat suddenly. "It's my fault I got you caught up in this". Right? That's what you'd like to say?"_

_Sonic was silent as the serpent anthro went on. "Please, don't misunderstand. We're in the same boat, and helping you out was MY idea. You needn't feel apologetic, my friend. I understood that..going down this road would be...hard. That I'd have to sacrifice much. I was prepared for that." He insisted. "But..."_

_He bit his lip. "...I do not know enough. I need MORE. I need to be stronger...I need to be better. I can't have others making sacrifices for me."_

_..._

_..._

_..._

_... "Tails, I'm demanding you GO! Please, you have to!" Rouge sobbed._

_"Why are you standing in my way?" Flippancy insisted. "The woman wants to die."_

_"I keep losing people...people I had the potential to save!" Tails snapped at her. "Maria. Dulcy. Mighty. Toni. I'm tired of people dying right in front of me!" Tails protested. "I WILL protect everyone I can!" He exclaimed._

_..._

_..._

_..._

_...Sonic RAN, but even with his speed, he wasn't fast enough. Rows of rings shot out, hooking around him, slowly dragging him into the doorway. "MILES! Miles, c'mon, grab my hand! C'MON!"_

_"I can't." Miles's body said softly, shaking his head. "...you're not my spirit." He told Sonic sadly._

_"I...I..." Sonic felt tears brimming in his eyes, and he let out a howl of rage and despair as the door closed, Miles slowly waving goodbye, eyes filled with mourning._

_**"...he'll be back." **__Chaos said simply, eyes closed. __**"...yes...he will return."**_

_BA-BAAAAM! "You're damn right!" Sonic roared, his fist punching a hole through the door as he struggled to keep himself outside of it long enough. "I PROMISE, I'll come back for you! I ain't leaving you behind! __**I PROMISE**__!" He screamed before the rings tugged him back into the dark expanse within._

"We can change. Yes we die, and yes we can be weak. But we struggle to get stronger as we struggle to live. And if your mind still isn't made up? Then try to remember...the days we spent together at Kiritimati." Aleena added, kissing him on the cheek.

And with that, he did wake up, as a gentle cherry blossom slipped off his cheek, falling to the ground. He smiled, rubbing his cheek as the wind gently stroked through his jester's cap, looking up at the beautiful blue sky above.

_**Let it all out...let it all ooouuut! **_

_**You don't have to act so brave...**_

_**Just look at me, look at meeeee!**_

_**Let it all out...let it all ooouuut!**_

_**As we write upon the wall **_

_**of things that rise and fall,**_

_**we continue to move forward,**_

_**and to chase our destiny!**_

_**Nobody knows what they can truly do**_

_**And along the roads we begin to see...**_

_**The things we tossed away or were looking for**_

_**Were always waiting there for you and me...**_

_**So I hold my head up high,**_

_**And I look intoooo theeeee staaaaaars...**_

_**I turn my anger and my fear**_

_**All the sadness all the tears,**_

_**And I lift them up and watch as they all**_

_**Turn into the staaars...**_

_**Hold up your hands and reach with me,**_

_**And we'll make stardust together,**_

_**Hold your heaaaad up high...**_

_**Till the stars fall from the sky!**_

_**The day may soon come around**_

_**When we'll have to say goodbye,**_

_**But we won't care at all,**_

_**Because we've gotten so damn faaar...**_

_**As the seasons make their rounds, **_

_**I continue to walk forward,**_

_**And to wish upon those stars...**_

_**Till they turn cold and fall from the sky...**_

"...I..." NiGHTS smiled warmly. "...yeah." He said to himself. "...I can believe in that." He said. "...a man feels hungry...there's such a thing as food. A man feels thirsty...there's such a thing as drink. A man feels a need, there is always something to provide for it in this world...something real...something substantial and true."

He stood up. "A man feels that there is something...someone...looking out for him..." He whispered.

**Author's Note:**

**There's an easy-to-spot reference in here, but also a tricky one. For those of you who are confused, I'll tell you where it is, but not what it means. Now if you can figure it out, you get a cookie. You'll notice the author of that guide to Metallurgy the boys are looking through? The "Complete Idiot's Guide"? Yes, a particular person wrote it, but notice the NAMES? Well, the names are a reference to a certain famous somebody...actually TWO famous somebodies who engaged in a famous activity that helped inspire this series. ^_^**

**And don't worry if you don't get it, I'll post the answer in the next chappy.  
**


	24. Founder of Our Country

_Science centers around explaining how the world works in terms that all can find common. _

_Faith is about explaining WHY the world works in terms one cannot ignore. _

_The two are rarely compatible. And Magic's foundation is found in faith. The elements of the world, the manipulation of time and space, the healing of any and all wounds, these are possible with magic, as long as you remember..._

_All magic has a price._

_Nothing...is free..._

**Episode Twenty-Three**

**我々の国の創始者****!**

**Founder of our Country!**

Tails stood in front of the creator of the Golems, eyes wide in surprise.

This thing before them...

What...what was...

What WAS it? Was it a plant? A PERSON? What-

Then something happened that made this strange moment in time even stranger. The Bio-Lizard suddenly grabbed it's mouth, eyes bugging out, letting out a strange, liquid-y "braaaaap".

The koala laughed. But the designer of the Golems gave the Bio-Lizard a look of surprise as the thing began to quiver madly, gasping in surprise. "I think I ate somethin' that didn't agree with-" He began to say.

Unfortunately, the poor schmuck never got a chance to finish. There was a loud, horrifying, thunderclap-esque explosion as the Bio-Lizard's stomach tore itself open, rips exploding outward as muscle and flesh tore through the air, his guts spewing out onto the floor as a rip from his belly to his mouth opened up.

Tails watched in fascination and horror as the Bio-Lizard let out a half-muffled screech of pain and horror, watching as blood and flame billowed out of the stomach, followed by an ENORMOUS metallic monstrosity with red eyes and a lashing, spiked tail who stood in tank treads to gaze at two more people who were sliding out of the Bio-Lizard's stomach.

"Wow, this has turned into an ad for "Pepto Bismol"." The designer remarked with a bit of a grin as he stepped back, hands on his hips. "Hello, dear **Racism**."

"Wait...THAT'S Metal Sonic?" Tails exclaimed, hands flying to his head. "I mean...how in? How did he even FIT-that's...GEEZ!" He finally gasped.

"I duh 'eel tho 'ud." Sonic muttered, nursing a sore jaw as he flopped off of Metal Sonic's head along with King, who dusted himself off.

"Well at least your brother is here. Sound off, who's not dead?" King called out.

"...me." Sonic groaned.

"I'm FINE, thank you." Metal Overlord said with a sneer as he flicked King off of him, making him slam into Sonic, who then slammed into Tails, knocking them all into a dogpile.

"BROTHER!" Tails yelled happily, hugging him as tightly as he could. "Oh thank GOD you're alive, thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!" He cried out happily, wishing he had the gift of tears.

"I'm just glad you're okay, lil' bro." Sonic insisted happily, hugging him back. "Good to be back, Miles. Real good to be back."

"I'm just so glad you're alive!"

"Ahh, ya worry too much!" Sonic said, giving him a playful whack on the shoulder.

"Yeah, blah-blah, disgusting show of emotion. Show some restraint before the Founder of this Country!" Metal Overlord snapped.

"Oooogh..." The Bio-Lizard moaned. "My tummy feels OOKY..." It said, rolling around on the ground.

"Oh stop whining, you..." Sonic began, turning his head to look with surprise upon the figure before him, Tails, King and the koala bear on Tails's shoulder.

WHAT THE?

"If Gods could laugh, know that I would be doing so now." A strange-eyed being said, folding his arms, claw-esque fingers digging into his arm. Though his eyes were a verrrry tiny string of ones and zeroes, when looked at from at least double arms length they appeared as a reflection of the night sky, and he had pale skin with a golden, sun-like gem in the center of his chest. He wore a cape of bluish purple with and outfit to match, though he had purple chaos emeralds on his wrists and legs, and styled, slick green hair. "I mean, really, this is like some giant cosmic joke."

"Who are YOU?" Sonic inquired.

"...did...I hear you...call that two-tailed fox doll...MILES?" The thing asked. "...as in...Miles Prower? As in the son of my sister/brother?"

"...what're...what do you mean?" Sonic asked, clearly confused.

"You DO know NiGHTS, don't you?" The thing asked.

"BAH, he's not my REAL father." Sonic muttered. "No real dad of mine would have ever left-" He began.

"My name is Void. NiGHTS is my sibling." Void explained, placing a hand on his chest, making Sonic blink in surprise. He then looked them over, rubbing his chin. "Yes, yes, you definitely have his "spirit" within you. Sparks of creativity and freedom." He said, looking Sonic over. "Ahhhh, and you." He looked Tails over. "His intelligence and loyalty. I can see it in your eyes."

"Wait...your father is a...girl?" King inquired.

"No, no. Not anymore." Void commented.

"...I'm confused and my head hurts." Sonic said suddenly, holding his head, moaning.

"Looks more like your ARM was hurt." Void said, looking Sonic's arm over.

"Oh yeah, I landed hard on it and mighta...I dunno, dislocated-"

Void snapped his fingers. There was a bright flash of purplish light and it enveloped Sonic's arm, shooting out from the chaos emeralds on Void's wrists and ankles. Right away, the pain was gone, Sonic's arm returned to as good as new. _Bios_? _Zoe_?

"Like it? I'm so good with these." Void said. "Ah, but NiGHTS, he was quite the little progenitor of amazing magical constructs back in Babylon. Simply divine!"

"Uh...in English?"

"NiGHTS used to be one very skilled magician." Tails translated.

"You see, he and I used to be brother and sister back in Babylon." Void explained. "Back before we had our bodies changed!" He went on, smiling broadly. "So he DID have children, oh that's WONDERFUL!" Void said, clapping his hands together.

King's eyes had widened as he looked Void over in horror. It wasn't just at the chaos emeralds on this thing's wrists and ankles. The texture of the outfit...no, that wasn't an OUTFIT, that was part of his body, and...

What he was feeling from this thing...the sensation was absolutely disgusting. It felt like his soul wished to vomit. But he kept his mouth shut, though his eyes betrayed clear horror.

"...uh...I don't suppose you'd...be nice and just...tell us what exactly happened to him? And...you, for that matter?" Tails wondered.

"What kind of Bond villain do you think-" King began.

"Oh, sure, sure!" Void said, sitting in his chair, leaning back and grinning broadly. "You see, it all began hundreds of years ago..."

...

...

...

...the skies of Babylon were crystal clear as gentle clouds rolled by past towering, crystalline buildings. Long tapestries hung upon nearby out of temples as large paintings were presented on the walls. Some goofballs were taking more paint to these walls, fiddling around to turn tasteful depictions of Mediterranean scenes into scenes laden with barely-hidden sexual innuendo.

"You darn kids!" An angry-looking old owl yelled as he shook his feathery fist out of the temple wall, snapping his beak. He was so furious his glasses actually slipped off his beak and he went falling out of the window trying to grab them as two people sat near a jester with an orange jester's cap. He had bright blue eyes, and yellow/orange clawed gloved hands, with...

Well, with no body. But what he DID have was an amazing mastery over magic, and was tossing a ball of glittering light around in the air.

"Okay, then!" He told the children. "I must say, you little angels have been the perfect students." He insisted with a big, broad grin. "I don't know why your parents would have abandoned you...if I was your daddy, I'd be proud of you."

The first was a young girl in pinkish armor. She had winged boots, big, glittering blue eyes, and a bright red gem in the center of her chest. Her brother Void looked her over, still barely able to believe she liked to wear so much pink. "Yeah, I guess he would have if he hadn't kicked us out of the house." Void remarked sarcastically, sniggering slightly.

"Just you wait. One day he'll reopen the keys to the kingdom." Lumina giggled, holding one hand over her mouth, her stubby little rounded "horns" on the side of her head glittering like the rest of her pink chest. She had a set of golden rings around her wrist, as did Void.

"Now, before we begin, riddle time. I sat with my love, and I drank with my love, and my love she gave me light. I'll give any man a pint of wine who'll read my riddle right!...only I can't give alcohol to minors." He added, shaking his head and showing off his shark-like grin. "So, what's the answer?"

"That's a disgusting question with an equally disgusting answer, Jackle!" Owl said, flying back inside the classroom, dusting himself off.

"But can you ANSWER it?" Jackle laughed.

"I sat in a throne made of my love's bones, drank from a cup made form her skull, and saw by the light of a candle made from her FAT." Owl said, frowning darkly.

"_Ewwwwwww_!" Lumina said, sticking her tongue out, shaking her head back and forth.

"Well, that's the answer. Here's your prize." Jackle said, holding up one wrist as a large, multi-colored ribbon shot out, whirling out Owl and tying him up as Jackle laughed. "Gotta be quick on the draw, boys and girls!" He told the two siblings. "But I've got news. As of today, I officially begin teaching you real magic. No more simple written tests. Today, you begin showing me what you've got."

Void and Lumina couldn't wait. They'd been removed from their home. Once they'd been "royalty". Now they were simply people who were trying to learn magic, trying to learn something that would help them get far in the world. As the class went on and finally died down, they and their teacher looked out the window at the city of Babylon, noticing the beautiful waterfalls trailing down from above, the enormous, pearly fountains...

"It's all so beautiful." Lumina said as she watched a parade go by, people holding up large streaks of colored cloth to form a beautiful rainbow in the street as people danced around, playing tambourines and singing. "And to think it's all been put together with magic. But..."

"You sure like "buts", don't you?" Jackle laughed. "And I DO mean that as a double entendre." He added with a snigger.

With a hard stomp, Void brought his foot down onto Jackle's, making his teacher shriek. "EEEEEEEEEEEE!"

"That's my SISTER you're talking about, you creep!" Void snapped.

"Sorry, sorry!" Jackle apologized nervously as Void made a fist. "But what are you so worried over, Lumina?"

"Do we...really have the right to be doing this?" Lumina asked.

"Don't you WANT fair rights? Equal treatment? Don't you want a way to be seen as somebody with worth?" Jackle asked calmly.

Lumina turned to look abck at him.

"It takes a keen, intelligent mind to understand science. But it only takes a little effort and heart to understand and USE magic." Jackle went on. "Magic is a tool. How you use it is what matters. And don't you think all people deserve a chance to be able to fly?" He said, rising off the ground, levitating slightly, his mantle flapping in the wind as he grinned.

"...right..." Lumina said, smiling broadly. "...right."

...

...

...

..._and so the days went on..._

"So tell me...what is Magic?"

"Magic is what connects us all." Lumina said.

"Magic is not just a part of life, it IS Life. The life that all things have." Void said.

"It's a wellspring of potential that can never truly die out for it's always appearing everywhere you look. **Magic is unlimited**."

_And on...and on..._

"It always comes with a **price**." Lumina said, finishing up her dissertation on the board. "**ALWAYS**."

"And while some use the elements, others make use of time and space...making use of chaos energy..." Void said as he put the finishing touches on his diagram.

"Yes, finally, I can understand. Now..." Jackle walked over to his computer. "Time to get some serious work done!"

He let them leave his office, then cracked his knuckles, turning on the computer. "Okay, let's see...I've been to Myst Island and the Mechanical Age..."

_And so, eventually, they all grew to be very comfortable..._

"Come onnnn doubles!" Void exclaimed, shaking the dice in his hand. "Let's go! Big doubles! Get me outta jail! C'mon, doubles! I am thinking about doubles...I am envisioning doubles...c'mon double-icious doubles, let's go!"

"I always forget to budget enough time for these board games." Jackle mumbled as his head hit the table, his claws digging into his cap.

"Have you noticed he always wins because WE always quit?" Lumina inquired. "You're lucky you're not playing King Wizeman, I'll bet he'd have your mouth sown shut or somethin'!"

"I'm going to wash the graffiti off the temple walls." Owl said. "Let me know when it is my turn."

_Time moved on..._

"He's done so much for us." Lumina said as she looked out the window of the temple, resting her head in the palms of her hand. "We know so much magic now. And we can live comfortably. We really seem to have a family."

"Gah, after what happened with our Father, I've sworn off families for good." Void insisted. "They're more like...roommates to me." He laughed. "Less attachment, and it's easier to forgive Owl's smell."

"You LAUGH." Lumina insisted. "You laugh at the idea of a family. You always did even back up there."

"Well unless they form communities and breed, they can't continue their species. Be they Sapient, human or Maginary, like Jackle or King Wizeman are." Void told her.

"Oh don't say "BREED", they're not dumb ANIMALS, they're PEOPLE. And people get a lotta happiness from families and friendship, as corny as they sound." She told him, giving him a playful whack on the shoulder. "I wish I could have a family, but..." She sighed sadly. "...we angels can't ever do that..."

She hung her head as the sun began to slowly set, casting the beautiful city into a golden glow. "...but that's my hope." She admitted. "I believe that if I can somehow blend time/space magic with Zoe, I'll be able to possibly create new life. HAVE a family of my own." She turned to her brother. "And what about you?"

"Me?" Void inquired, raising a non-existent eyebrow. "Well...hmm. You see, I want to try and lead this world into paradise. To help the worthy reach their full potential." He explained. "That's my plan for Bablyon and it's beautiful skies..."

"How so?" Lumina asked.

"**WAIT A MINUTE!"** Sonic exclaimed.

...

...

...

...Void stopped telling the story, blinking in surprise. "Huh?"

"How could you say turning everyone-how was THAT helping them?" Sonic snapped furiously.

"...tell me. Suppose there was a woman you loved." Void asked. "One with all your heart. Yet she had a terrible disease. Day by day she suffered in agony, and at night she would lay awake, unable to be cured, always in pain. What would you do?"

"...uh..." Sonic scratched his head. He didn't understand what this had to do with him.

"Wouldn't you put your beloved out of her misery?" Void asked. "Well this world has also fallen victim to an incurable disease. Life is as a "valley of tears"...life is filled with suffering. It's absolutely unfair. But there was a cure, I realized. As your brother might know..." He gestured at Tails. "People who experience flight into space undergo a major transformation in their consciousness. They receive an enlightenment. They become "perfect beings" and become one with the world. I wished to create perfect beings...and to create a world without war...without hunger...without sickness..."

...

...

...

... "Immortality?" Void inquired as Jackle nervously paced back and forth in the temple, with Owl sitting nearby in a chair next to Lumina. "King Wizeman has all the gold and power and women he wants. Why would he want immortality? Has feeling the grasp of old age dig into him got him pissing his pants?"

"He doesn't WEAR pants, as far as I know." Jackle murmured, folding his arms. "But this is big. He's asked ALL magicians in the city to aid him in his quest."

"But IS there a way to gain immortality?" Lumina inquired. "Life is precious. If good things lasted forever, would we appreciate them nearly as much?"

"Whether there is or isn't a way, I doubt it would hurt to look for ways on PROLONGING life. Look through the tomes on Zoe and Bios." Jackle ordered them. "If you actually come up with anything, I'll be very impressed." He told them all. "After all, King Wizeman said he'd reward whomever grants him immortality, or the next best thing, whatever they want."

Void reached up for one of the tomes, looking through it, rubbing his chin. "...hmmmm. There has to be some way to...waiut. " His eyes widened. An idea had hit him. "Long...life..." He realized. "...and what IS life?"

The idea was fairly simple, actually.

"Keep digging!" Wizeman ordered. He had six floating hands of metal with clawed fingernails and eyes upon each hand. These eyes had appeared to be a mixture of purple and blue, and the King of Babylon, realm of the Maginary people, wore a helmet with many twisted spikes at the top that covered the top of his face, all save his mouth. He wore a large cloaked robe of dark blue and had the appearance of royalty. Circling around his head was a golden halo of sorts as well, and his voice was very deep and slightly unnerving, as if several people were speaking as one.

People were digging large trenches all around the country, in one, giant ring. Simple enough. And then they were asked to do something else...

"This feels weeeeiiiiird." A little girl said as Owl stuck the needle into her arm, getting donations of blood along with other magicians in the city. "Can't daddy do this?"

"Sorry, but it has to be somebody with experience in this."

"Awww, but daddy's ALWAYS touchin' me!" The girl said cheerily.

"OWWWWW!" A nearly-middle-aged man howled, holding his arm as Lumina grinned darkly.

"Sorry, it's just NEVER taken me seven pricks to find a vein!" She remarked calmly.

Bit by bit, the blood was collected, and housed in large tanks. Soon King Wizeman had enough to fill the ring-like canal that surrounded Babylon...the ceremony was ready, and Void, Jackle, Owl and Lumina, who had all been the primary caretakers of this grand experiment, were brought to Wizeman's castle.

Red lights the color of blood danced about in the background like some kind of Aurora Borealis as stone columns rose up, smooth and sleek, to form a formidable temple-esque hall. In the center-back region of the hall was a large stone circle that was almost like something from a Celtic ritual, with golden lamps that held light blue flames all around the room, and a familiar painting nearby of stars...a familiar mural Sonic would see much later on in time...

"So I place my blood into here?" Wizeman asked, pointing down at the circular cup in the middle of the stone circle.

"Indeed." Void said, nodding.

Wizeman held a knife up to his finger, cutting through metallic flesh as silvery blood trickled down into the cup. "This is gonna be so COOOOOOL." Lumina thought, bouncing up and down. "I can't believe the king's gonna be immortal!"

"Don't forget to add your blood as well. You two are the best magic users in this room, we need the "spark of life", that "spark of emotion" that lies within your blood." Void told Jackle and Owl, who approached the circle as well. They held the knives up to their own fingers as Void cheerily smiled at Lumina. "You wouldn't BELIEVE what's about to happen." He told her.

That tone made Lumina blink in surprise. "...what do you mean by that?"

"See, the truth is..." Void held up a knife, quickly slicing into his own finger, unseen by the others. "You and I...WE'RE the most powerful magic users in this room...and this means the center of the hurricane...is right here." He said, pointing down at the space they were standing before he quickly grabbed her hand, slicing through it. Their blood mingled as he tossed the knife at the circle...

All time seemed to slow. Owl gasped. Wizeman's mouth opened in shock. Jackle blinked in surprise.

The knife struck the center of the circle, and there was an enormous, earth-shattering KABOOM as suddenly the top of the palace was blown open, light flooding Lumina's senses...everything became white, and then...

Then that whiteness became the darkness of space, as a million stars surrounded her, swirling galaxies rushing by her head as she looked down at a familiar blue planet, realizing that her body was glowing...that she was SOARING into the air with Void, who laughed and laughed as the stars rushed around her and her brother...

She could hear screams ringing through her ears...screams of millions of voices, all-

...darkness.

...

...

...

...Lumina blinked in surprise, returning to the land of the living...

Realizing she was now wearing white gloves...and a new outfit. A vest...a purple jester's cap...and her FACE, it...

She suddenly realized she felt something ELSE.

"OH...MY...GOD!" She shrieked. "Oh my...how the? AAAAA! GAAAAAAAAAAAH!" She shrieked over and over...or rather, HE shrieked over and over. "What...what's going on?"

Suddenly she saw something that made her blood run cold. Wizeman the Wicked lay on his face, mouth slightly open, eyes closed...by Jackle and Owl...who also were as still as dead.

No. Oh no...

"Jackle? Owl? King Wizeman?" Lumina whimpered, shaking them one after another. "...no." She realized quietly. She raced outside of the palace, looking out in horror at streets that were littered with bodies that lay still...unmoving...

...dead.

"..._no_." Lumina sobbed.

"Aren't you happy?" Void's voice echoed as he calmly stepped down the nearby stairs, holding onto a martini, sipping it nonchalantly. "Look at what I've done for you." He said, gesturing at her as she looked at his eyes...

His eyes that were now tiny strings of ones and zeroes...his body that now had emeralds glittering on them instead of rings.

"Their souls have been combined to create these chaos emeralds...to create the new body I have." Void explained. "And because I was so generous, I did you a favor! Now you have the body of a Maginary...the body of a being that CAN give life." He told her cheerfully. "Not merely that, but thanks to all the souls that you have within you, just like mine...your body will live forever!" He said cheerily. "You can have ALL the families you want!"

"...you..._you_..." His sister gasped, hand flying to her mouth, eyes widening in absolute horror.

Her scream echoed through the darkened city.

...

...

...

... "A maginary's body is so in flux on the genetic level...there's potential DNA from every animal species. So he really is BOTH your fathers. Isn't that nice?" Void asked.

"...Jesus Christ." King whispered.

"...that's..." Sonic looked at Void in absolute disgust. "You..."

Tails looked like he was on the verge of crying. What he'd just said...it had been absolutely horrifying. "How could you possibly justify something like that?" He asked.

"He should be happy." Void said. "Isn't it better to live forever with the ones you care for? She'll always have family to look after...you...your children...your children's children...

"You don't get it, do you?" Sonic asked. "There ain't no point to life if it just went on forever. That would be BORING."

"Yes, a life that ends still has meaning for those who wish to be with people who are precious to them." King agreed. "Life will one day be born anew. PEOPLE are one day born anew in the world beyond...or even in THIS world. And that's much better than walking around as a living corpse like you turned your own SISTER into...no offense." He added, looking over at Sonic.

"Dude, none taken." Sonic insisted, shaking his head.

"I see. You're 'that' breed of people, eh?" Void mused.

"C'mon, let's kick his ass." Sonic insisted, holding up his fist.

"Woah-woah-woah!" King said as Sonic rushed forward, grinning broadly. "We need to figure out how he works, Sonic! Haven't you ever heard the phrase "If you wish to down a leader, aim for his horse"?"

"That's just stupid! Over here we have a different saying..." Sonic said holding his fist up, light energy swirling around it. **"JUST SHOOT HIM!"**

A solid beam of light shot out from the fist towards Void...

And it just disappeared into a faintly shimmering shield around the man.

"...are you DONE?" Void asked.

"...let's take on this guy first." Sonic decided, turning on Metal Overlord, who opened up his jaws, beams of energy collecting at the front. With a mighty roar, the robotic beast unleashed a powerful blast of energy, but Sonic raced around the room, the Bio-Lizard squeaking and running for it. "Your aim SUCKS, Metal!" Sonic laughed as his feet tore across the walls, the energy beams missing him over and over.

"Stand **still**, you fat blue tub of lard!" Metal Overlord snarled, his spiked tail lashing at the ground.

Well THAT did it. Sonic's fists clenched as his body turned into a golden, blazing shine. With a roar, he launched himself through the air at Metal Overlord, red eyes narrowed intently. He promptly punched Metal Overlord through the air, as the robot snapped angrily.

"You think that's going to stop ME?"

"Wasn't aimin' for you." Sonic said as Metal Overlord suddenly turned around, seeing he was about to crash into Void. "HA! Now I've-"

Void calmly rolled his eyes, folding his arms as Metal Overlord bounced off the shield around him, landing on the ground nearby, his arms and treads flailing in the air like he was a giant beetle that had been placed on his back. "...done...absolutely nothing." Sonic mumbled.

"Lemme try something unorthodox!" Tails suggested, snapping his fingers as the walls began to pulse, and the metallic walls shot out in the shape of fists, aiming at Void...unfortunately these too bounced off his shimmering shield.

"You dirty rotten-" King exclaimed, shooting forward, scimitar held high.

SCHA-THWANG! A large orange light shot from Void's chest, knocking into King, lifting him up into the ceiling and slamming him hard. He let out a gasp of pain, falling to the ground, taking in deep, harsh breaths.

"He cast a spell without even using any rings?" Tails exclaimed. "Or GESTURES!"

"How in the?" Sonic gasped.

"Okay, I'm...a bit annoyed now." Void said, shaking his head. And for a brief moment, the gem on his chest glittered along with the chaos emeralds he wore.

There was a "BOINK" sound that echoed through the air, and Sonic and Tails blinked, looking at each other...

"...uh...what was that?" Tails asked.

"Don't know, don't care. FRY!" Sonic roared, holding up a hand and...

Failing to shoot a fireball through the air. He blinked, looking down at his hand. He then clenched his fists over and over, stomping on the ground slightly as the others stared at him. "C'MON!" He yelled, looking at himself. "Get **GOLD**, you stinkin'!" He roared.

"Did he just nullify our magic?" Tails gasped.

"...well THAT's not good." King realized.

"Watch, he's about to say something evil, and then slam them down into the ground." The Bio-Lizard whispered into King's ear.

"It's about to get _worse_." Metal Overlord sneered, his claws slamming Tails and Sonic into the ground.

"See? Told you." The Bio-Lizard said, now sitting on King, who angrily grumbled out a "yeah, yeah".

"Heh, you're such a typical "natural" being. The minute you get one bite of real power, you get so overeager, like a child in a candy shop. You don't even know where your true power comes from! Did you think that this country became so prosperous on the power of people like you? HA!" Metal Overlord sneered. "This country never had it so good because of us!"

"Take your fat behind off of me and we shall SEE who has the stronger ideology, you disgusting, amoral RUFFIAN!" King roared out, slamming his claws into the ground, snarling.

"Well, well. A strong body, keen mind..." Void grinned. "And quite spirited too. No need to waste a perfectly good chance like this."

He coughed slightly, and then let out a loud, hacking sound...

And then something was vomited out into his hand...

Something that was unmistakably a chaos emerald, glittering white. King's eyes turned to surprised, yet fascinated slits as Void held it up, making it catch the light. "You see...unfortunately dear "Selfishness" lost his way and I had to go and kill him. So now I have need for a new body for him to inhabit. I just pour this into you...and, well...if you're strong enough, lucky enough..."

"Oooooh, neato!" The Bio-Lizard exclaimed as Void approached King, holding the liquidy chaos emerald up, making it swirl in his hand. "You gonna pour it in his ear? In his mouth? Or what-what, up the butt?"

"I can't believe you two are related." Sonic sniggered at Metal Overlord.

"YOU can't believe it?" The robot snapped. "To think I share his blood."

"To think I helped GIVE him that blood." Void commented, rolling his eyes. "Ah well. Moving along...if you're lucky, you'll live. If not...POOF."

"...poof?" King asked.

"Your head a'splode." The Bio-Lizard explained.

"Actually Your entire body will, as my "brother" so succinctly put it, "a'splode"." Metal Overlord said, a clear and obvious grin like the work of demons on his features.

"DAMMIT! You FREAK! Let go of us!" Sonic roared, struggling around to break free.

"King, c'mon! Run for it! Let him go, you evil monster!" Tails shouted.

"I won't let you-" Sonic snapped.

"SONIC! TAILS!" King called out.

The two stopped struggling as King grinned. "Don't you worry...this is what I wanted, remember? I needed to bring the Chaos Emerald to my country...I NEED this power, remember?"

"...you WANT this blessing, this curse? Well isn't THAT interesting." Void admitted. "I really hope you DO live through this." He said, holding King's mouth open. "Past the mouth and over the gums, look out stomach, here you come." He sang out.

The liquid slipped down King's throat, and the serpent let out a howling hiss of pain, his body convulsing, white light shimmering out of his mouth. "GAAAAAAAH!"

"What is he thinking?" Sonic inquired, looking confused. "Dude, come on!" He shouted. "What're you think-"

"Stop...I'm...fine!" King gasped out, his body shuddering over and over, the indentation of the faces of others made clear on his sides and chest, his eyes growing wider and wider. "I...am the one...who will become ruler...over Soleanna...I must...**AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA**!"

Blood poured out of his mouth onto the ground, as Sonic and Tails shuddered in horror at what they were seeing, the serpent writhing on the ground, screaming and hissing.

...

...

...

...Within his "heart", King was tossing and turning in a large bed, surrounded on all sides by pillars of gold coins and treasures, as one person sat on an enormous ivory throne, pink eyes glittering, hands folded neatly against each other. Ornate, priceless paintines and statues lined all around as the albino human smiled. "Welly-welly-WELL! What have we here?" Michael White, aka **Selfishness**, inquired.

King gasped, panting heavily as the gold began to pour down around him, slowly burying him in heavy, burning heat as several people, stark naked, came out to lounge around the Golem's spirit, who eagerly licked the neck of one of them. "Mmmmmm. You know, you're rather young, aren't you, newbie? Just the way I LIKE it. Mind if I take your body?" **Selfishness** asked.

"Go ahead! I'm GIVNG it to you!" King roared out, jabbing at his chest as the gold continued to flow over him, pulling him down, burying him deeper and deeper still.

"..._what_?" White asked, looking confused.

"I'm going to become ruler over the holy kingdom of God, Soleanna! As such...I need to learn to be a good host." King wisecracked.

"Well you sure do talk big." White admitted, looking amused. "Interesting sense of humor, too...glad you can joke about this even as you're buried under my selfish desires."

"I'm being given my greatest desire...to gain the Chaos Emerald! It's what I want! It's something I'm willing to sacrifice so much for..." King clenched his fist. "Something the woman I love was willing to cut off her own ARM for so I could attain it!"

And with that, White's eyes widened, the gold and the women and the treasures vanishing as he stood in the center of a white abyss...with White standing before an open door, a million eyes behind him, all containing different souls as the golem's pink eyes looked King over with clear interest.

"...you don't say." White asked softly.

"Power...I need it..." King whispered. "I want to protect everyone...I want to SAVE everyone...I WANT TO CREATE A KINGDOM FILLED WITH PEACE, WHERE NOBODY DIES! WHERE NOBODY SUFFERS! AND I CAN'T HAVE THAT IF I'VE GOT NO POWER!" King screamed, grabbing ahold of White's jacket, his golden eyes gazing intently into White's.

"..."

"So...GIVE ME YOUR POWER!" King demanded. "I'LL TAKE IT ALL! I KNEW THE RISKS FROM THE BEGINNING! I'LL ACCEPT IT! I'LL ACCEPT **YOU!**"

"...I LIKE your type." White admitted, patting King on the head. "I'm so glad you'd like to be inside me." He laughed.

A deep hug...and then...

...

...

...

... "...King?" Sonic asked nervously.

"The name's Michael White. My title...**SELFISHNESS**." King said, standing up...his eyes now glittering a bright pink, a steady stream of ones and zeroes visible in his pupils.

"_Yech_. To think, you'd actually accept THAT one. You disgust me." Metal Overlord said. "I mean, a SNAKE. Even THEY don't like themselves."

"You're pretty disgusting **yourself, **whomever you are. I don't wanna KNOW what your masturbation hand is." **Selfishness** said, looking Metal Overlord over. "Lemme guess...you're...**Racism**, right?"

"Oh yeah, and I'm **Ignorance**, nice ta meetcha!" The Bio-Lizard said cheerily.

"And you're my designer, my creator, my daddy dearest, eh?" **Selfishness **said, bowing melodramatically before Void. "Well, I think the month is December, so season's greetings!"

"White, is that really you?" Sonic inquired.

"Uh, have we met?"

"You don't remember us from before? When you took me captive at the Golden Calf?" Tails asked.

White/Selfishness/King scratched his head. "Ahhhh...no, not really. You must mean the one who preceded me. Sorry. No memories whatsoever."

BANG!

The door at the far end of the room burst open as Marine stepped inside, with Omega standing nearby. "Knock-knock! ROOM SERVICE!" She exclaimed.

"Can ANYBODY just waltz into my secret lair right now?" Void muttered. "This isn't Sector Two for Christ's sake!"

"...that...that person with the hair..." Marine whispered in horror. "...that person doesn't even remotely feel like a person!" She murmured, clinging to Omega like she was drowning in a river and he was a log.

A moment later little Tucker raced over to Marine, jumping into her arms, hugging her tightly. "Oh, Tucker, than heavens you're alright! Crikey, I was so WORRIED 'boutcha!"

"Well, this is really cute and touching and all, but what the heck is going on?" White/King inquired, tilting his head to the side.

"My sentiments exactly. **Blue Blur**! What is going on here?" Omega snapped.

"Huh? Sonic's here? Where?" Marine asked, her head whipping back and forth.

"There. The little tubby hog being pinned by that metal monstrosity."

"...tubby?" Sonic groaned.

Marine blinked, looking Sonic over. Her mouth promptly fell open, reaching all the way down to the floor, gaping in absolute horror and shock.

"Wow, she experienced her first unrequited love AND failed crush all in one day." Omega realized. "...if I had emotions, I imagine I'd feel sorry for you." He said as Tucker helped Marine pull her jaw back up.

"**WAAAAAAAAAAAAAUHHHH!" **Marine sobbed.

"Nice GOIN', Sonic, you made her cry!" Tails snapped.

"Insensitive jerk." White/King muttered.

"Ah! Wait! Stop! Please!" Sonic begged.

"Wait. Is that "Omega"? That Shanazaran who keeps being annoying with his dark magic? Ah, could you, well, eat him?" Void asked of the Bio-Lizard.

"Weeeeeee!" It shouted, jumping at him. "I get to eat him AND a little girl! A big meal AND dess-"

Omega's claws grabbed his head. You can guess what happened next.

"...his head a'splode." Metal Overlord sniggered, the pieces of the tegu lizard falling to the ground in squishy THUDS.

"Careful, you're starting to sound like Flippancy." Void warned him.

"He's not the only one with TRICKS, motherfuckah! Here's a "hello" from the land down unda!" Marine cried out, tossing a paper with bloody lettering through the air, a knife impaling the paper to Metal Sonic's head.

"What the-"

KRUDDA-BOOOOOM!

"Woah. Déjà vu." White/King commented as Metal Overlord's head popped off, his grip on Sonic and Tails being released.

**"What...the..."**

The rest of Void's surprise couldn't be verbalized as Sonic suddenly realized his chance. "HEY! OMEGA!" He shouted. "You gotta know the truth about the Shanazaran Campaign!"

"AGH!" Metal Overlord yelled, trying to reattach his head. "No, stop-"

"THESE guys started it! Racism, that big metal monster, impersonated an officer and shot a child! They know everything about what happened to Shanazar! **They're **the true culprits!" Tails called out.

Omega's red eyes turned to pinpricks of surprise. He suddenly felt a dark chill go through him.

His fist clenched. He stomped on the ground.

"...well...this is interesting. I shall have to ask you to refute this...did you do what he says you did?" Omega whispered dangerously, looking at Void. In response, Void gave Omega a bit of a smug smirk. Omega began to let out a low growl. "...I don't believe in un-provable concepts like God or the Devil...but right now...I feel the need..."

Omega clenched his claws. **"TO SEND YOU TO HELL!"**


	25. Biting the Hand that Feeds You

_Science centers around explaining how the world works in terms that all can find common. _

_Faith is about explaining WHY the world works in terms one cannot ignore. _

_The two are rarely compatible. And Magic's foundation is found in faith. The elements of the world, the manipulation of time and space, the healing of any and all wounds, these are possible with magic, as long as you remember..._

_All magic has a price._

_Nothing...is free..._

**Episode Twenty-Four**

**マスターの手を噛む**

**Biting the Hand that Feeds You**

"You're really getting on my nerves." Void said, folding his arms, frowning deeply. "I suggest you not involve yourself."

"And I suggest that you start talking. Why did you do what you did to my country?" Omega snarled, the robot apparently unaware that the Bio-Lizard was creeping up the wall and across the roof, aiming to drop down upon him. "Answer quickly, and I'll give you a swift end."

"COWABUNGAAAAAAAA!" The Bio-Lizard roared, jumping down from the ceiling, mouth wide open...

With a harsh BAKKA-THUD, Omega delivered a powerful clawed fist into it's gut, the Bio-Lizard's teeth actually flying out of it's mouth as it gasped.

"...daaaaamn." White/King said, looking at the teeth as they embedded in the wall near his head. "One hell of a right hook."

"You know what? I've decided I'm going to peel the skin off of all of you and wear you like Heracles wore the Nemean Lion's for a CLOAK." Omega commented with a faint, cheerful tone as he tossed the Bio-Lizard away.

"Wait, even ME?" Sonic asked.

"Maybe you later." Omega said.

"...uh...THANKS, I guess?" Sonic remarked, shrugging. "Whatever." He turned to Tails as Omega raced towards Metal Overlord, claws laced with dark energy. "We'd better get a move on."

"Wow, that robot's GOOD for somebody who ain't a Golem." White/King complimented. "But he doesn't hold a candle to THIS ol' body." He said, pointing at himself...

Before suddenly wheeling at Sonic, launching a high kick that sent Sonic flying through the air, making him crash into the wall. "Not bad, huh?" He inquired.

"Ah, good boy." Void said. "Now then. Obey your designer and remove the Outsiders, if you please."

"First thing's first!" Sonic yelled, launching himself out of the wall, delivering a punch towards White/King as he leapt away. "I wanna piece of you..."

He held one hand up, sparkling lightning swirling around it. "EXTRA CRISPY!"

With a crack of thunder, lightning split across the room towards White/King, who ducked down, Matrix-Style, spinning to avoid the onslaught.

"You're making me do this, King. Just give up, alright?"

"Don't go sayin' stupid things. The NAME...is...**WHITE**!" White growled, clenching his fist, his stolen body transforming before Sonic's green eyes. A pitch-black darkness covered his fists and feet as he grinned darkly.

"Wait...isn't that...King? The snake from our rival clan?" Marine wondered to herself as she hid behind a pile of rubble, the cries of Metal Overlord ringing through the air as Omega made him his bitch.

"A GIIIIRL!" The Bio-Lizard howled happily. "Oooh, yummy-yummy-yummy, I'll have girl in my tummy!" It sang out, popping up from the floor where it had landed, rushing at Marine, who quickly ran for her life, screaming like a...well, like the little girl she was.

"Now, now, you're RUININ' the interior." Void said as Omega held Metal Overlord's neck region, strangling him as the mighty robot's tail crashed down against the floor over and over, sending large chunks flying everywhere. "And I just WASHED the floor."

"Silence! You will be next." Omega snapped, tossing Metal Overlord away and rushing at Void, claws extended.

"Ah, mind the hair, I just shampooed with Loreal-"

CHA-CRUNK. Omega's claws wrapped around his head and the robot's red eyes narrowed as a surge of dark energy swept through his body...

Doing...nothing.

"...what...the?" He exclaimed. "What in blue blazes is wrong with your body?" Omega gasped in disgust and horror.

"Get away, get away, get away!" Marine yelled as the Bio-Lizard kept chasing after her. The camera panned above, showing that Marine had become like a little "ghost", with the Bio-Lizard chasing her down a-la Pac-Man.

"Bloop-bloop-bloop-bloop-bloop!" The Bio-Lizard called out, mouth opening and closing rhythmically over and over, scooping up dots of rubble in his mouth. "C'mon! I eat you, I'll get an extra life!"

TRIP! He promptly fell flat on his face and down a very large pit with a cry as Marine dusted her paws off. "Years of livin' out in the bush. Ha-HA." She called out as the Bio-Lizard hit the ground below, groaning in deep pain.

"You're pretty good." White/King said as he twirled around, doing a spinning kick, knocking Sonic through the air as he held up his fists, grinning. "Too bad you don't follow the rules."

Sonic rolled his eyes as his body became encased in a golden glow, and he swirled through the air, delivering a harsh series of punches towards White/King, who held his arms up to protect himself. "Don't go playin' that game with me, dude. I saw that movie." He then grinned. "Allow me to show you HOW I OPEN COCONUTS."

The **Blue Blur** did a sudden sweep of his leg, knocking White/King back a few feet, and rushing forward, aiming to slam his hands on the Golem's head.

BA-BONK!

White/King blocked, a shimmering chaos shield surrounding him as Sonic was thrown backwards, gasping in surprise. "You...I didn't know you could do that!"

"Neither did I." White/King commented cheerily, holding up his fist. "But apparently I can do THIS too! **CHAOS SURGE!**"

He launched a pinkish wave of chaos energy through the air at Sonic, who quickly ran for it, speeding along the ground as White tossed rapid-fire blasts in his directions. "ARE WE HAVING **FUN**, YET!" He laughed manically.

"Obviously we underestimated King's magical potential, Sonic." Tails remarked. "I mean, WOW, that's some high-quality chaos right there." He said, examining a sizzling mark that had been burnt into the wall near his head.

"Oh, that's so considerate of you! Hey, Sonic, take a closer look!" White/King remarked.

"Really, you're only making this harder on yourself." Void said as Omega jumped away in time to avoid a sudden, harsh onslaught of energy. "I mean, really. I've provided so much for the people here. There wouldn't even BE a Mobius if not for me."

"Help like yours we could all do without!" Tails yelled as he chased after the Bio-Lizard, who was approaching Marine, leering horribly.

"I'm gonna diiiiiig iiiiiiin!" It announced, mouth opening.

"HEE-YAAAAAH!" Tails's ringed wrists glowed as his tail became encased in a metallic shine and shot forward. With rapid strikes, he impaled the beast over and over in the back, making it's body shudder horribly. It let out a rapid series of gasps, falling to the ground as Marine quickly held up a slip of paper, taking some blood from a cut on her cheek and writing on it.

The Bio-Lizard leapt up, snarling at Tails. "WILL YOU STOP THAT! I'm tired of people attacking me from be-"

SHA-SLAP. A piece of paper got stuck to his feet like toiler paper as Marine stepped back, and an enormous blast of light energy swirled up from his feet through the top of his skull, it's eyes rolling into the back of it's head, collapsing to the ground in a bloody pool as Metal Overlord snarled angrily.

"Dammit, you used up all of your Chaos Emerald, you stupid fool!" It snarled.

"Stand STILL!" White/King shouted, launching itself through the air, striking at Sonic, who slammed his fist into his opponent's.

"I can't believe you're doing this!" Sonic yelled as the two of them spun around in the air, striking at each other over and over. "What about your mission, King?"

THA-TWHUNK. A fist met arm as White/King snarled angrily. "My name is WHITE, you dumb-"

"What about David?" Sonic yelled, catching the Golem off guard with a good leg sweep.

"Wh-"

"WHAT ABOUT ELISE?" Sonic roared, his fist shooting forward.

THA-THRACK.

Sonic's fist had met with the transformed snake's "nose" region...but there was inky darkness covering it...with unmistakable cold, golden eyes glinting back as White/King backhanded Sonic across the face, knocking him through the air.

A large explosion filled the air. Omega had cracked open a large hole in the wall and smoke was everywhere. Tails felt Marine clinging to him along with her koala. "HIDE US!" She begged as Metal Overlord tried to rub rubble and dirt off his face.

"Oh my. This is unfortunate." Void said as he knelt near the unconscious, twitching Bio-Lizard. "Worry not, **Ignorance**. I'll recreate a new body for you soon."

He lifted Ignorance into the air, onto his shoulder, heading towards a familiar area. "Clap on, clap off...the Clapper." He sang ot himself, clapping his hands. As he clapped his hands, the others moved away enormous circular pit that was rising up from the floor...

"...that seems...familiar." White/King remarked, scratching his head for a moment.

"HEY!" Metal Overlord yelled, looking left, then right, then up. "Where'd that stupid organic go?"

"You mean the fox or the rabbit?" White/King asked. "...hey, that sounds like one of Aesop's Fables."

"Just find either one." Metal Overlord snapped.

"Fine, fine, fine, I'll find, find, find." White/King said, exiting the room, dragging Sonic behind him. "Oh, FOXYYYY! I gotta present for ya!"

"Oh my GOD, what did you DO to him?" Tails exclaimed, his attempt to sneak up a manhole halted by the sight of Sonic in a VERY bad condition.

"Oh, he'll live." White/King said, rolling his eyes. "Now you gonna come with me, or am I gonna have to hurt him some more?"

"It's okay, Tails." Sonic said, grunting out.

"...Sonic?" Tails asked.

"...he's still in there." Sonic said quietly.

...

...

...

... "Believe me, escorting you to **Cruelty **is not high upon my list of priorities." Metal Sonic said as he walked down a long hallway, arms folded as he hovered along, White/King mutely walking behind them, looking intently at Tails and Sonic. "Now, one day painting the walls with your digusting blood, which, by the way, clashes with my nice chassis, that's another story. Oh, and it would be so interesting to see how much fur I could peel off that fox before it finally died."

"Dear LORD, you can almost hear the **erection**." Sonic muttered, rolling his eyes.

"...you know...this hallways is awfully...weird." Tails thought out loud, banging on the walls. "It's like a giant, metal PIPE..."

They finally walked into an elevator, Metal Sonic transforming into a military-clothed man. As the elevator finally reached it's location, they stepped out...

Realizing they were at Central HQ...where Dr. Eggman kept shop. They looked at each other. "You know...this is...this is like something from out of some sick Twilight Zone episode." Sonic told Tails. "I half expect an alien to peek it's giant head in and say "Wayne, they're onto us"."

"Yeah, I know what you mean." Tails agreed, shivering.

"HEY!" Metal Sonic snapped. "Get a move on! C'mon! You need to take a shower before you're presentable for **Cruelty**."

So, Sonic and Tails headed into the shower rooms, Tails sitting nearby. "Hey, you doin' okay, Marine?" He asked.

"Fine, fine." She answered, clinging tightly.

"This feels weird, letting a girl into the boy's room." Sonic admitted as he washed the space behind his ears, glistening water drops sloping down his fine body as he shook his head back and forth, his well-toned frame sending a spray of water left and right. His tight-

"...hey! Hey, I see that!"

...what?

"You're focusing the camera too close on me! I don't care how many fangirls wanna see me naked, get that thing out of here...and stop talking about how I shower!"

Sorry, sorry. Just tryin' to give the people what they want.

"Uh, movin' on. Do you think this means that the entire military has ties to these guys?" Tails inquired. "...the Golems started the Shanazaran Campaign. They're most likely causing other terrible things..."

"...there is some good news." Sonic said quietly. "...I saw your body. Your real body."

Tails's head whipped towards him. "It's alright? Really?"

"I couldn't take it back with me, since I'm not your soul, but it's there, alright. And doin' just fine." Sonic told him. "...oh, and uh...it kinda smells weird."

"Like what?"

"Kinda like...oranges."

"...really?" Marine inquired, giving Tails an interested look. "I LOVE oranges."

"HEYYYYY!" Metal Sonic yelled as he banged on the door. "Hurry up! I want you to get a move on! Get out here so I can show you somewhere private!"

"So you want me?"

"Yes, of course I want you!"

"...pffffttttt..." Sonic began to snicker madly, Marine hiding in a stall as Metal Sonic angrily kicked the door down.

"YOU...ARE...**DISGUSTING**!" The robot shouted, dragging him out of the shower as Tails turned to the stall Marine had hidden in.

A few minutes later, Metal Sonic had led them to a door. "Come on. He's waiting for you." Metal Sonic said. "From here, we part ways. And good riddance. I hope I never see you again." He added, walking off.

Sonic and Tails turned to each other, shrugging as they entered the room...

Seeing Shadow sitting with Dr. Eggman. They blinked in surprise, turning to each other. Dr. Eggman had been a Golem after all...but Shadow? What was HE doing here?

"What's...going on here?" Sonic asked.

"...my...fellow...troops...were unfortunately..." Shadow spoke through grit teeth, hands digging into his arms, frowning darkly. "Sent to places that better required their attention. Vector is in the North. Bomb is in the South. Heavy has been moved to the West. And my lieutenant has been granted the honor..." He said the word "honor" as if it was a racial slur. "Of being Dr. Eggman's personal assistant. The situation isn't like a wolf threatening a pack of sheep...all our fellow shepherds are wolves in disguise."

So it was that bad. The entire military was in on this, Tails and Sonic realized. Sonic frowned darkly, turning on Dr. Eggman. "To think you'd be such a DIRTBAG." He growled. "Turning them into...what's the term?"

"De-facto." Tails said.

"Right. De-facto hostages!...wow, de-facto. Is that Spanish?" Sonic asked.

"It's LATIN, Sonic." Tails said, shaking his head.

"Well I thought the term "Latin culture"-"

"Different kind of Latin, I assure you." Dr. Eggman said, taking a sip of some coffee.

"I can't believe you're really a Golem. You didn't ever seem like one. You know, I thought you were a decent person...for a self-styled dictator." Sonic muttered.

"If you just do what you're told, no harm shall come to you. Believe me, I know what's best for this country."

"I'm not worried about myself. I'm worried about all those other people in Mobius..." Sonic muttered.

"The people who AREN'T "precious resources"...what'll happen to them all?" Tails demanded.

"That's on a need to know basis. And, well, you do not need to know, Metal Brotherhood." Dr. Eggman said with a hint of a condescending tone.

"The Metal Brotherhood, huh?" Sonic laughed. "That's a laugh. That title feels so disgusting now..." He turned to look to the side. "I CHOSE to work for you guys so I could get me and my brother's bodies back. But I'll bet the whole "State Metallurgist" system is just something to select sacrifices with. If you're going to use me for something even worse..."

He slammed his hand down on the ground. "Then I'll rip you to SHREDS before I'd do so much as your LAUNDRY for you, butt-nik!"

"...you wouldn't want to get me annoyed." Dr. Eggman muttered.

"Look buddy, you may be a Golem, but I DOUBT you'd be able to take all THREE of us on!" Sonic said proudly, grinning.

Dr. Eggman adjusted his goggles. "Oh, I think I could. But I don't need to." He remarked.

"Why not?"

"Let me think...what was her name?" He rubbed his chin. "Amy Rose, right?"

Sonic and Tails's eyes stiffened.

"Your childhood friend. Skilled life magic user. A sweet, charming little hog, isn't she? And I just LOVE her cute little dress." Dr. Eggman went on.

"If...you...**touch**...her..." Sonic snarled, his fingers digging into the table.

"You cowardly FREAK!" Shadow snarled.

"I suggest you get used to this and not disrespect your benefactors. It's the only way to survive in this world." Dr. Eggman said coldly.

"...you'll get...what's coming...to you." Sonic promised angrily.

"If you're gonna keep watch over us, can WE keep looking for a chance to get our original bodies back?" Tails inquired.

"Oh, by all means. I don't really care either way." Dr. Eggman said, shrugging. "And you, Shadow? Are you going to quit the military?"

"I'm going to become the Ultimate Life Form." Shadow said firmly. "And protect everyone in this country. I can't do that by giving up when I'm on the right path just because somebody put me on that path for reasons of their own." He said. "I'll get there...I'll get there."

"Hmm. Good. You're dismissed." Dr. Eggman said, sipping some coffee.

"But can I ask you something before we go?" Shadow asked softly.

"...yes?"

"...did you kill Mighty?" Shadow muttered.

"No." The autocrat answered simply. "And to be frank?...I hate guns."

"...good." Shadow said, getting up and leaving the room with Sonic and Tails following, Dr. Eggman scratching his head. He was SURE he'd sensed another person with them. Perhaps someone from Soleanna...but...where was she?

As Sonic and Tails and Shadow headed down the hallway, Marine shimmied around to Tails's back again. It had been hard work, hiding behind, to the side, in front of Tails every time somebody had been close to actually FINDING her, but she'd hidden herself nicely. "That guy smelled of EGG." Marine muttered.

"We'd better get going." Sonic said to Tails, and they took off with Marine quickly jumping onto Sonic, burrowing deep into his quills. "AH! Watch it!" He shouted.

"Sorry." She apologized. "Woah, you got a LOT of rings in here."

"_Shhhhh_!" Sonic whispered. "It's my secret, okay?" He insisted as they headed down the hall, Shadow heading the opposite way, walking outside with a quick step, intending to find Rouge...

Finding Knuckles instead, standing there, looking solemn.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

"No, I was trying to find Rouge."

"Rouge happens to be right there." Knuckles said, pointing to his right. Shadow turned to see Rouge was standing right there, in front of a limousine.

"Rouge."

"I heard about...everyone else." Rouge said. "They've all been split up."

"It's a damn tragedy." Knuckles admitted.

"But I'm not leaving." Shadow insisted. "I won't give up."

"Neither will I." Rouge insisted as Knuckles opened up the door to the limousine. "...let's go for a drive."

...

...

...

... "That's my problem, Peter." Mary Jane Watson said on the television. "The reason I was vulnerable. When you live with somebody who has a double life, no matter how much you trust him, there's always that thought of "What ELSE is he keeping to himself"?"

"Preach it, sister." Amy Rose said, holding a Shirley Temple to her lips.

"_**Don't be fooled by the rocks that I got, I'm still, I'm still Jenny from the Block!"**_

"Helloooooo?" Amy laughed, picking up her cell phone. "...Sonic? Hey, whatcha doin'? I'm so glad you called! You know, there's this good documentary on TV tonight called "Capitalism: A Love"-"

"Aare you okay? Doing all right? You're not being followed by anyone suspicious are you?" Sonic whispered softly.

"Sonic, really." Amy said, giggling, rolling her eyes. "What next? You gonna tell me to be on the lookout for a man with a gold tooth?"

"...grrrrr..."

"Your concern's so cute." Aamy said happily. "It really means a lot."

"...uh...okay..." Sonic said nervously, blushing deeply. "...listen, just...just please...be careful." He said softly. "...please."

"I will." Amy said, giving him a kiss through the telephone. "Ciao!"

Sonic put the cell phone away, holding his head. "Phew. She's alright."

"You know, you gotta be more composed than that. They'll take advantage of your relationship with that girl. They're just that low." White/King said, leaning against the phone booth they were using, King's hair turned to White, pink eyes gazing at them.

"Where'd YOU come from?" Sonic exclaimed.

"Not from ABOVE." Tails muttered, rolling his eyes.

"What is it now? You wanna rumble?" Sonic growled, holding up a fist.

"No. I want you to pass on this message." White/King said, holding up a small note from his pocket. "Your friend wanted you to give it to this girl named Elise, apparently." The Golem said. "I can't read what it says, personally."

"...me neither." Tails admitted. "It LOOKS like Ancient Hebrew. I'm not good with that." He said, taking the note in his hands.

"You're not going to try and follow after us to kill Elise, are you?" Sonic asked, giving him a glare. "After all, that fat Egghead tried to take my girl...my friend who happens to be a girl..." He said quickly. "Hostage."

"What kinda asshole do you think I am? I'm not gonna fight with a girl." White/King said, looking offended. "I may lack my own soul, but I don't lack my own STANDARDS."

"And we should trust you WHY?" Sonic asked, tilting his head to the side.

"Because my motives are totally selfish...I don't believe in lying." White/King commented, shrugging as he headed off. "See you later."

"Sure...King." Sonic muttered.

"It's **White**." The Golem called back.

...

...

...

...meanwhile, Omega was carefully making his way through a long, metallic hallway, frowning to himself as he thought quietly, grateful he'd been able to escape.

But why...

Why had that being started that campaign? Why ravage an entire continent and make it filled with violence? It didn't make any sense.

There had to be some kind of dark ulterior motive. But...WHAT?

"Excuse me! Uh, uh, excuse me?" A fairly stupid-sounding voice called out.

Omega looked down througha grating at the sight of a purplish cat, some oil dripping down...looking red as blood. It splattered on the grating below, drizzling down slightly. "Oh, my. Yer hurt!" Big called out. "Please, please come on down."

Omega blinked.

"It's okay. The guard isn't gonna be around for a while. Plus I'm a doctor. I can look at your wounds, y'know!"

Omega would have frowned if he could have...but he needed to get a tune-up. It couldn't hurt, this man might also have some information on these strange people...and their stranger leader. He burst through the grating, landing down on the ground as Big gasped.

"That...that symbol...you're "Omega", right?" Big gasped. "The Shanazaran?"

"Who are you? What are you doing here?" Omega asked.

Big blinked a few times, then bowed his head, slowly going over to his bed and sitting in it, hands holding onto his head tightly. "...my name is Big the Cat. I was a Metallurgist skilled in life magic that took part in the Shanazaran Campaign."

Omega's eyes widened to large red saucers.

"WHAT?"

Meanwhile...quite some distance away...

"She's going to be alright." Dr. Thorndyke insisted, nodding his head as Marine sipped some chicken soup. "She just hasn't been eating well lately. And all this stress has been agitating her stomach."

"Thank you, doctor. I'll have to add your soup to the "list of things I'll need to eat"." Tails said, scribbling away in his notebook.

"But the problem is that now I don't have anywhere to sleep. If SHE'S going to be on the couch, with that other girl right there on the bed-wait." Dr. Thorndyke blinked, scratching his head as Elise staggered through the doorway, panting a bit.

"Elise, you need your rest." Tails insisted. "Please, miss."

"It's fine, really." Elise insisted. "I need to be strong. For King's sake."

"This reminds me, I have a message from him." Tails said, handing her the note that White/King had given to them.

Elise looked it over. "...it reads...it reads "I've gotten what we needed". He has a Chaos Emerald, doesn't he?" She asked happily, tears brimming in her eyes as she hugged Tails with her hand still clutching the note. "Oh, THANK you, THANK you!" She laughed.

"Uhhhh...I..." Tails stuttered.

"Sorry." She said, letting go of him. "But this is wonderful news! Please, where is King, we need to get a move on right away!"

"...it's just that..." Tails murmured. "...he..."

"...he what?" Elise asked, blinking a few times in surprise, seeing Tails's pained expression. "...Tails...what aren't you telling me?"

Also elsewhere, White/King was watching as Dr. Eggman sat on a park bench. "Whatcha doin'?" He inquired, folding his arms, raising a non-existent eyebrow.

"...simply feeding the pigeons, **Selfishness**." The autocrat insisted, taking out handfuls of bird seed from a small brown bag, tossing it to the pigeons.

"You keep doin' that **Cruelty**, you know what you're gonna get?" White/King inquired. "FAT PIGEONS!" He laughed.

"So it seems you are feeling in quite high spirits. Quite the body you've got." Dr. Eggman complimented as he tossed another handful of seed out for the pigeons.

"Oh yeah, it's one HELL of a body. You wouldn't BELIEVE the magic potential in this one! He's a natural with the power of Chaos!" White/King bragged. "And he willingly let me take his body so that he could become ruler over Soleanna to boot. Ain't that something?"

"Heh." Dr. Eggman chuckled. "Stupid little idiot. He once told me that I'd never be a true ruler, because I don't CARE about my people. But if he was right and I was wrong, why is HE the one who's gone?" He laughed. "The fool doesn't know that dropping dead weight like stupid ideals and attachments to people is the only way to survive."

**"But it's no way to LIVE, ****you fat sack of shit!****" **White/King snarled, his eyes glittering gold for a moment as Dr. Eggman blinked in surprise, mouth hanging open slightly.

"..."

"Catchin' flies?" White/King laughed. "You're gonna have to be careful with your words. "He's" waiting for his chance to take over. I might just let him occasionally, just to see what happens. It would be fun!"

"Heh. Willing to let even someone like YOU come along for the ride. The selfishness of naturals." Dr. Eggman remarked.

...

...

...

... "Dr. Eggman's a GOLEM?" Knuckles growled darkly, furiously as he sat with Shadow and Rouge in the limousine. "...to think...I only wanted to fight to protect the innocents in this country. And many others think the same way I do...many others want to make sure the strong can defend the weak...but to think that the military is just for...for..." He growled and punched a hole clear through the limo's door.

"OY! Watch it!" Rouge snapped. "It's a RENTAL."

"It IS disgusting, what they're doing. But if you're concerned, you could quit the military." Shadow offered.

"...no. No, I can't." Knuckles said, murmuring softly.

_This wasn't right. These weren't fighters. These weren't warriors. This was a slaughter, not a fight._

_"These people are CIVILIANS, sir!" Knuckles screamed, voice hoarse with sorrow and anger, holding a frail frame in his arms. "This is absolutely CRUEL!"_

_"You're going to disobey a direct order?" His superior snarled furiously. "Fine! We can get another State Metallurgist to replace you. Get lost!"_

_He walked off, leaving Knuckles alone with the body, as Knuckles howled in fury, punching the ground over and over, screaming furiously._

"All I could do back then was rage and scream after I'd run away from the fighting. I knew what they had done was wrong, but instead of turning upon them, demanding righteously that they stop, I acted like a coward and...and..." Knuckles mumbled. "...I can't run from this. If there's a chance I can stop their plans somehow...I need to take it."

"THAT'S what I want from you." Shadow said, nodding firmly. "Walk forward resolutely. Don't lose sight of your ambition, Knuckles." He folded his hands in his lap.

"Our beloved leader is a Golem. And most likey, there's somebody even more powerful BEHIND him. This is an opportunity I can't miss." He clenched his fist, eyes glittering. "I need to get stronger. I'll consider this an opportunity."

"An opportunity to do what?"

"...I need to study a new kind of magic if I'm going to defeat this new threat." Shadow said. "...do you remember who that woman was that assisted Sonic and his brother?" He asked Knuckles, who blinked a few times. "The one so skilled in Metallurgy?"

MEANWHILE...

"So it's like that?" Elise asked as she sat on the bed, looking to the side. "...he's...become one of them."

"I'm sorry. If we had tried to stop him..." Tails apologized as he sat near her, nervously hanging his head.

"Please, don't be." She insisted. "I'M the one who should be ashamed. I couldn't keep him from this. I should have been there. But it's alright...because he's still inside that "Selfishness" person, right? Waiting..."

"Yes."

"Then I can't wait any longer. I need to get my arm healed up somehow." She turned to Tails. "I need you to help me get to your friend, Amy Rose!"

"Wait, you want to get your arm healed up with life magic?" Tails asked, blinking in surprise. "...alright." He said, smiling. "I'll go call Amy up. Have her come here if she can." He said, looking up at the doorway.

"Tails?" Marine asked. "...is that woman next to you...who I THINK she is?" She asked as Tabby stood nearby her.

"Well, who do you THINK she is, Ms. Aussie?"

"...did you say...AUSSIE?" Elise asked, lifting her head up, gazing at the raccoon. "An AUSSIE, here?"

"Well, well. You know of my family!" Marine said, getting into a fighting stance. "Figures. A good watchdog of the family Rolar always knows a lot."

"This watchdog has a nasty bite." Elise said with a grin. "Let me guess. You're after the Chaos Emerald, right?"

"Aye, mate." Marine said with an equally dark grin.

"Ooh. CATFIGHT." Tabby thought to himself.

"Uh, wait, hold on..." Tails began. "Let's all calm down and-"

"WOULD YOU JUST STAY OUT OF THIS!" They shouted at him.

"...eek." Tails said, hiding behind Tabby. "Sonic was right. I can't bring logic. The only thing I can bring to a catfight is popcorn."

"Prepare yourself!" Elise growled, getting into a fighting stance as well. "Don't underestimate me simply because I've only one arm!"

"HEY!" Dr. Thorndyke announced, grabbing them by the ears and tugging them off. "What the HECK do you think you're doin', about to go bustin' up my house?"

"Hey, owwwww!" Elise whined.

"That HUUURTS, mate! Stay outta our kingdom's beeswax!"

"I don't give a rat's ASS about your kingdom! You're both guests in my house and you are going to treat each other with respect!" The doctor said, holding them up in the air, fire brimming in his eyes. "As the good book says, "**Love thy neighbor as theyself or so help me, I'll SMACK you one"!**" He roared.

"...he's SCARY." Marine whimpered.

With that, the doctor left the room, Tails following after. "I'm sorry they're acting like this." He apologized. "I'll bet when your family gets home, she wouldn't want to find her home a wreck."

"...my...son and daughter haven't...they haven't spoken to me in a while." Dr. Thorndyke said, sitting down in the kitchen. "...it's...it's a personal issue to me."

"...I'm sorry." Tails said sadly.

"Not your fault." The doctor said. "It's an adult issue. You're too young to be worrying about that sort of thing yet. You've got enough on your plate, believe me. Saving the world is a whole lot harder than trying to patch up relationships with estranged family members..." He sniggered a bit. "Though not by much."

Meanwhile, Sonic was sitting on a park bench, thinking to himself. "...c'mon." he mumbled. "C'mon, think."

He'd had talent. REAL talent. His mom had been so patient in bringing it out. And now he had to try and put that keen mind of his too good use.

C'mon, he thought. There had to be some way to get his and Tails's bodies back. He KNEW where Tails's body was right now.

Maybe he could sacrifice Tails's current body to...no, no, it wouldn't be a good trade. Maybe he could use a Chaos Emerald that was in one of the Golems to-

No, that was unacceptable.

He'd SWORN to not use innocent lives to get their bodies back. He couldn't treat good people as a means to an end.

He couldn't be like Void.

He frowned. "Wait. Omega...he'd been able to USE magical power. And so had Marine."

Yakin Shīru...perhaps that was the way, Sonic thought. He had to talk to them. This was a new weapon. And ANY edge they could get over these things was a welcome one.


	26. Metal Genocide

_Science centers around explaining how the world works in terms that all can find common. _

_Faith is about explaining WHY the world works in terms one cannot ignore. _

_The two are rarely compatible. And Magic's foundation is found in faith. The elements of the world, the manipulation of time and space, the healing of any and all wounds, these are possible with magic, as long as you remember..._

_All magic has a price._

_Nothing...is free..._

**Episode Twenty-Five**

金属ジェノサイド  
**Metal Genocide **

The office of the Warden of the Central City Prison was a room with vaguely pink walls and several vid-screens installed in the walls. There was a large set of double doors leading into the room, and an enormous desk that held the Warden of the Central City Prison behind it. He was a robotic-esque hedgehog, with a thick white moustache and grizzled eyes, looking to the side at a brown-colored fox. Apparently the poor Warden had been launched into a "Roboticizer" before they'd been outlawed.

It had, from the incident report collected at the crime scene, "stung like a bitch".

"Alright, Emerson...read me that file."

"Yes, Mr. Jules." Emerson said, saluting.

"It's just Warden."

"Yes, Warden Jules!"

"...just...just read me the file, please." Jules said, his moustche flopping down, rolling his eyes.

"Yes, sir!" Emerson opened up a file he had in his hands as several guards stood by a very young, 11-year-old hedgehog with a black body and red stripes. He frowned darkly at them all, folding his arms.

"Shadow the Hedgehog. Age 11. Blood type AB. Parents unknown. Brought up in an orphanage. Didn't do well in school and ran way, disappearing for a year before he was seen fighting with Crip members on the streets. He's guilty of manslaughter and sentenced for that crime."

Emerson looked more closely at the file. "Oh...it says he threatened to "squish the arresting officer's head like a grape". So I'd imagine he's extremely dangerous, sir."

"So."

The old man rested his hands on his desk as he sighed. "...a few...minor infractions involving hitting on some of the female prisoners...but nothing serious otherwise in this prison. I've heard you bragging and boasting somewhat...about you being the "Ultimate Fighter". But yet nothing occurred during your stay so far that would indicate you're half as dangerous as your file says. At least...nothing occurred until yesterday, in the shower..."

Shadow sniggered. Jules Maurice raised his eyebrow. "You think this is...amusing?"

"Oh, pretty much, yeah."

_Shadow had been washing himself off in the shower when somebody had called out his name._

_"SHADOW!"_

_Shadow had turned around, blinking stupidly a few times as a large fist suddenly met with his face, and he was sent flying through the air,c rashing through the girl's bathroom, making women sheek and run for it. Shadow, alas, was less interested in the jiggly factor...and more interested in the fact that 200-something-pounds of big, fat ox were staring at him from across the way. _

_Apparently this schmuck had hit puberty EARLY. He was built like...well, like an ox!_

_"Somebody gave me thirty pounds of rice to bump you off, turn you into mincemeat and make meat pies out of you!" The ox said, flexing it's muscles. "I'm hungry, and I think I'll start with a fillet of Shadow!"_

_Shadow stood up, brushing some dust off of him as he grinned darkly at this newcomer. "...think you can make it?"  
_

"_Oh, boy. The Iron IDIOT'S at it again." One of the prisoners whispered._

_"He's friends with the guards. What can you do?" Another mumbled._

_"Poor Shadow. He hasn't been in here for even 2 months..." _

"_GRAAAAAAAAAAH!" The ox rushed forward, swinging his fists and...missing. Because Shadow had ducked, and delivered his own punch...slicing upward and now embedding his fist through the man's stomach, one hand sticking out the other end._

_The ox blinked stupidly, looking down as Shadow wiggled in a "hello" fashion with his hand, then he ripped the stomach clean open, as the ox let out a horrifying groaning bellow, reeling back._

_"Help, I've fallen and I REALLY can't get up!" Shadow wisecracked, heading back to the shower, washing himself off as the ox floundered around on the ground, slowly dying._

Jules sighed, leaning bck in his chair as he waved for the guards and Emerson to leave. "...why did you run away from your school?"

"...they couldn't teach me anything I didn't already know."

"...I see POTENTIAL in you." Jules told him. "You fought to stand up for yourself and pulled off a highly powerful technique. I believe I could refine your fighting skills if I helped you learn Metallurgy. With it, you could rise and become a State Metallurgist one day. You'd cease to be another street bum."

"...okay...but why would I want to do that? Besides the possibility of getting out of jail early?" Shadow inquired.

"Your work from now on will be Metallurgy under my private tutelage. You won't have to stamp license plates or cook or clean any more. You'd get a person recommendation from me to have you tested by the state to be a State Metallurgist. And I'll even increase your month's allowance." Jules went on.

"...sounds almost too good to be true. I imagine you will want something in return?" Shadow inquired, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

"Yes." Jules said, taking out a small photograph from his desk of a long, eggplant purple-haired hedgehog. "My daughter. Dearest Aleera, bless her soul, has gotten married. She even has babies now. I went to go visit them some time ago...I can see magical potential in them too. I want you, when you're a State Metallurgist of note...to examine them. See how far they've come."

"Very well. I...accept."

...

...

...

..."You've learned the basics of Metallurgy." Jules said as he leaned back in his desk, looking up at the ceiling. "...and I'm pleased. Very pleased with all you've done so far. But...I've grown...concerned...about the state's activities. Metallurgy...science of magic. Wasn't it supposed to be used for the good of the people?"

"All magic has a price, sir. You taught me that. I'm willing to devote my life to learning it's secrets, even if it kills me. Please, continue to teach me. I want to be proficient in the element of flame. I feel a kinship with it."

"I am surprised by this." Jules admitted. "I took you for a Chaos wielder..." He sighed, leaning forward, burying his face in his hands. "...but if that's what you want..."

"Yes, it is." Shadow said, nodding politely.

"...Magic is based upon faith. Remember, there will always be false teachers claiming to know what's best for others, but people, overall, know what is the truth beneath it all. The power of Faith cannot be denied or ignored, no matter what the false ones say. Neither can the power of Emotions cannot be overlooked. And Fire is tied to the emotions of Courage and Anger...of which you've ample qualities." Jules told him. "I have faith in you. You'll become an excellent Metallurgist."

He pulled out something from a drawer and tossed it to him. It was a stapled set of papers which Shadow looked over. "This person here is my goddaughter. She'd been living in a good foster home I was able to pay for due to me taking this job, though I despised much of my work." He sighed. "I've heard she's working for the state now as well. Seek her out and show her the papers. She'll know what to do."

"Uh...what's her name?" Shadow asked nervously.

...

...

...

... "Mrs. Rouge! Mrs. Roooouuuuge!" Sonic called out, knocking on the door to Rouge the Bat's house.

Rouge opened up the door, dressed only in a towel as Sonic's face flushed, and a bloody nose sprung up as he looked to the side. "Didn't...know you...were in the shower..." He mumbled.

"It's alright, I'll get a bathrobe on. Don't act like you've never seen a pair of breasts." Rouge remarked with a smirk.

"Yes, but none as big as yours-ACK!" Sonic slapped his hands over his mouth. "I mean as FINE as yours-GAH! I mean as bouncy as-ARRGGGGH!" He banged his head into the nearby doorframe as Rouge chuckled slightly, sashaying to the bathroom to get a bathrobe.

It wasn't long before she was sitting at the kitchen table in her bathrobe, having poured a cup of hot cocoa for herself and Sonic. "What can I do you for?" She wanted to know.

"I heard that Egghead assigned you to be his personal assistant..." Sonic murmured, holding his own hands before him, looking down at the table. "...I'm sorry. I was in the same room with him and I couldn't kill him any more than I could have struck back at..."

"Back at what?"

Sonic bit his lip, then began to explain. About what had befallen Babylon. About Void. About his own father. About Racism's true form. About Omega killing Amy's parents. He spoke softly, sadly, of what he had endured. There was no happiness in his words. He felt...

Sonic suddenly felt many, many years older. He finally finished, his head buried in his arms. "I just couldn't bring myself to harm those people inside of that metallic fake. Using their souls felt..._dirty_..." He mumbled. "And being a State Metallurgist, THAT feels dirty. To think...to think that he caused the Shanazaran Campaign..."

Meanwhile, Big was on the bed, covering his face with his hands, looking ashamed of himself.

"Tell me." Omega demanded. "...tell me everything that you did in that campaign. All of your people's military exploits. I want to hear the whole thing."

"...I'm surprised you escaped, to be honest...a big guy like you..."

"...I almost didn't." Omega said.

"I saw Amy sobbing like...like she'd never sobbed before over finding out what she did about Omega. And to think her sorrow could have been prevented...to think it all happened because of that selfish..." Sonic slammed his fist so hard into the table his hot cocoa jumped slightly. "...and...and I HATE this!" He snarled, holding his head. "I hate not knowing what to do about it! I hate knowing how sad she was...I hated seeing her like that!"

"That's because you love her." Rouge said simply, giving him a gentle smile.

"...well of course, she's my best-"

"LOVE...her." Rouge insisted.

"...er...well...maybe..." Sonic murmured nervously, blushing deeply as he turned to "admire the drapes".

"You're just going to have to keep on living. Keep on fighting. To protect the people you care for. " Rouge informed her. "Just like I had to live with the guilt of choosing the path I did. The path that led me through the dunes of Shanazar..."

"I can see it, if I close my eyes. It's as fresh in my memory banks as yesterday." Omega informed Big. "...the sweet dunes of Shanazar..."

...

...

...

..._originally, the land of Shanazar had been an arid, rocky region. The hot winds would tear at flesh during storms, and the sun would bake down in intense heat waves. It was a land of rock and sand, where nothing grows...a shoo-in for the tabloids if you wanted a story on "Worst Tourist Location Ever". _

"This just in. Record heat has struck the country of Shanazar. We go live to our foreign correspondent, Richard Duos. Richard?"

"Dude, it's too goddamn HOT here. I quit."

"Turn that friggin' TV off!" Bokkun ordered as his people looked over the desert, a young robot nervously switching the television off, watching the news trucks move out.

"Why do we not wish for them to see this? I'm confused." One robot inquired of Bokkun.

"This is something you unveil once it's finally finished." Bokkun insisted. "But we've got plenty of time, plenty of time." He clapped his hands. Let's get a move on!"

_The land soon found itself to be inhabited by robots who engaged in a grand experiment. Within only week of their sudden arrival, the robots decided to create their own home where they could live in peace. It began in the skies above the duns, where through the use of chilled air and pulsed electrical charges, clouds were formed. _

_Thousands of tons of fertile topsoil were ferried in from the ocean bed and under the South Polar Ice Fields. Then began the seeding of what had, until their arrival, been an absolute wasteland, and within a short time, Hell had become a Heaven, creating a lush garden where, some time before, nothing could hope to grow. After a glorious report by the world's news stations on this event, people flocked in amazement to Shanazar._

_The Shanazarans wished to live as their own nation, without any sort of Religion, any sort of landlords or capitalist system. They would become communal, with Bokkun becoming their "Master", or "Teacher", to put it better. With him as their leader, they had turned Shanazar into a paradise. His greatest invention was the "Life Ring". It had been installed in all Shanazarans. Robots who were compatible with it had genuine free will. They could write a symphony. They could create a work of art...not simply replicate what they knew to be art. _

_What they created genuinely came from a heart. They were people, pure and simple._

_However, Central City ordered the land be annexed. This caused robots to engage in protests..._

"This is OUR country!" Several robots yelled, shaking their fists furiously at the armored guard by the embassy in Shanazar. "You came here illegally!"

"WE'RE the ones who tilled the soil! WE'RE the ones who seeded the ground!"

"You're mooching off our work, you stupid border-hoppers!"

"Don't you have plenty of places to live? Don't we robots deserve a country no bigger than Turkey?"

"This isn't going to end well. Something should be done." The head of the embassy murmured as a young little robotic chao tossed a ball up and down, smiling happily...not noticing somebody was approaching behind him...

...with a gun.

_The shooting of an innocent child what had been discontent and minor anger turned into full-on furor. It became a civil war...half the country sided with Mobius. The other half sided with Shanazar. For 7 years hell was unleashed onto that paradise. And that's when Eggman decided to write up a report...a very special declaration._

_A declaration of an extermination campaign to "take care of the robot problem"._

Cannons fired through the air onto cities as robotic citizens scrambled for their lives. With a single sweep of a commander's arm, rockets were fired off, guided into crowded halls and homes. The streets were filled with screams of pain and anger as the Shanazarans decided to let the Mobian Army know they were not going to take this lying down.

"That thing has enough power to take out the friggin' moon." Bokkun muttered as a metallic hedgehog smirked inwardly, holding up a large plasma cannon and aiming it at the tanks.

"Moon, schmoon. I'm just gonna take out fifty dozen Mobians is all." The hedgehog commented with a cackle.

"Watch it, Metal Model S." Bokkun warned him. "I mean, are all the freakin' organic-bsaed models in this freakin' out of their freakin' minds?"

"No, sir. We're just EQUIPPED!" Metal Model S laughed, launching an enormous, ball-chain blast of hot plasma at the tanks, as a row of explosions lit up in the distance. The air became thick with the burning smell of cooking bodies as blood and oil ran through the streets, soaking the ground...eternally scarring it.

_Ordinary soldiers fired rounds indiscriminately. Maybe they'd hit a head, but more likely, it would be an arm...or leg..._

_But for me...it was different. I was up close and personal so much of the time..._

_Swooping down from above...an angel of death..._

Rouge spread her wings out, holding knives up in her hand as her haggard face showed her sad resolve. Gritting her teeth, she launched forth through the air, firing off her knives as they tore through the heads of the lighter robotic troops.

But when it came to the body count...even SHE couldn't hold a candle...to the State Metallurgists.

Pir'Oth Ix,, a white-furred echidna, hovered in the air slightly, spinning his staff around as he faced down a large platoon of robotic soldiers. "You want to see what the old man can do?" He growled. "You are only making this harder on yourself. If you surrender, I promise a painless end."

"We won't give in to criminal threats." One quoted, holding up a rifle that should have been used on a tank, not against a person. Ix frowned, his ringed staff held high as a sudden, harsh blast of light shot out from the staff, and enormous stone structures rose up from the ground, metallic spikes impaling the robots before him over and over.

"You...were warned." He spoke softly. "You...were...warned."

Shadow the Hedgehog snapped his fingers, and an enormous explosion of flame tore through a city block, fumes rising into the air as screams of agony filled his ears. His face showed an emotional impasse...not so much as a flicker came across.

People ran for their lives only to find themselves falling into enormous pitfalls that SOMEBODY had dug up...a certain somebody who was hiding in an alley, holding a hand over his head, gritting his teeth as he heard the screams of robots being gunned down in their own coffins. This wasn't a fight. It was a slaughter...

...

...

...

... "AAAAAAAAA!" Captain Johnny roared as he clutched his eye, being carried away on a stretcher. Or rather, the disgusting, pulpy mass that had BECOME his eye after a bullet from a stray gunshot had tore through him. "You fuckin' little...GAAAAAAAH!"

"Geez. Whinin' ol' fogey. At least the dude's ALIVE." Mighty the Armadillo said, shaking his head and frowning. "Half **my** platoon was iced..." He muttered to himself. And he didn't mean just killed, he meant LITERALLY frozen to death by a ice ray. He noticed Shadow in the distance and waved. "Heyyy! Shadow!" He called out.

Shadow turned around, blinking in surprise. "Mighty?" Shadow approached him, looking him over, looking glad to see another familiar face. "I didn't know you were going to be here on the battlefield. Then again...I suppose they're asking for ANYBODY who's good with their hands, aren't they?" He wondered, looking down at his gloved hands.

"You have a different look about you." Mighty said softly. "...your eyes." He murmured. "...they used to have that spark of life in them. They've almost gone...dull."

"...Mighty, take off the sunglasses. I want to see YOUR eyes." Shadow insisted.

Mighty sighed slightly, slowly removing his sunglasses, staring back at Shadow. His weathered face was lined with pain, his mouth a sad, taut line. "...I know. I look like a killer, don't' I?" He asked softly. "I've washed my hands off ten times today but I still think if I look down I'll see blood..."

"To think." Shadow said as he and Mighty walked along with each other, past the others, standing on a hill that overlooked the city. "When we first met at the State Employee Fair, we did a lot of talking about how amazing we were going to be...how wonderful Mobius would be in time if people like us kept doing what we did."

"We hadn't had anything like a war in sixteen years...we almost made it to two decades. Would have been a record." Mighty admitted. "A country without war would have been ...I got some good news, bro." He said, holding up a letter.

"What's that?"

"THIS, my friend, is a letter from my fiancé. And when I get back home, we're gonna do ANYTHIN' and EVERYTHIN'." Mighty bragged, a big grin on his face. "I'm gonna love her up-and-down-and-all-a-round!" He crowed, air-humping the...well, the air as Shadow rolled his eyes.

"You're tempting fate. You DO know that in military films, if you talk about your wife and kids back home, it's like having sex in a horror movie? It's the kiss of death." Shadow said, shaking his head.

"BAH, this isn't some stupid fanfiction or somethin', this is for real-real." Mighty insisted, waving the letter in the air with a broad grin. "And it's what I need. Out there...I don't know when all the fightin' will end. But lookin' at this?" He said, feeling the texture of the letter. "I see a white dress and a packed church. I see me gainin' twenty pounds. I see wedding rings and minivans...and none of that scares me one bit."

"...heh." Shadow smirked a bit. "That's not a bad dream. Better than the one the military has. What can they gain from blowing the hell out of this place anyhow?" Shadow wondered. "We would do much better in enslaving them if we wanted their labor or resources."

"And all of this fighting has been DESTROYING what resources we WOULD be fighting if we were here for foreign tech or oil n' stuff." Mighty added.

"It's like we're just trying to wipe them all out." A voice spoke up, approaching them from behind. "It's...disgusting." Rouge the Bat muttered, her eyes now haggard and worn...the face of a killer on her once-lovely visage, white fur matted with blood that did not belong to her.

...

...

...

... Looking at it, you thought "chicken". Its body was short and round, its head not much more than a flat panel on top. It had two moveable "eyes" that were more like camera lens, with a small laser situated on it's head. It's entire chest was painted red, and there was a headlight situated to the left of it's body. It's right arm was built up of hydraulic sections which formed a three-digited hand, and the other arm held a plasma cannon with a long, thick blue shaft.

Gamma sat at his desk, pouring over various texts as his brother Omega walked inside. "Brother, listen, the attacks are getting closer to-what the?" Omega blinked in surprise. "Religious texts? AGAIN! Why are you reading the books of the enemy? I wouldn't have read a book on the Emperor being God in Japan during WWII...I wouldn't have read "_Mein Kampf_"!" Omega muttered.

"It's not written by the poor organics who are fighting us. It's Yakin Shīru, mystic arts from Soleanna." Gamma insisted as other Shanazarans crowded around his desk. "It's different from the Metallurgy that-"

"Brother of mine, really!" Omega said, shaking his head. "Faith is a killer. We must put our hope in what we can PROVE. Science can provide us with testable answers! Faith cannot!"

"But what we think we can prove and make bare to our senses, even THAT can be false. Our senses can fail us. But Faith is different. You must not be willing to close your mind to new ideas." Gamma said, shaking his head. "I quote Thomas Huxley: The antagonism between science and religion, about which we hear so much, appears to me purely factitious, fabricated on the one hand by short-sighted religious people, who confound ... theology with religion; and on the other by equally short-sighted scientific people who forget that science takes for its province only that which is susceptible of clear intellectual comprehension."

"How can you SIDE with those people? They started all of this!" Omega roared. "They killed an innocent child!"

"Brother, hatred...is illogical. Even Religious teachings make this clear." Gamma said, shaking his head. "Metallurgy is magic wielded with science, just as Yakin Shīru is. Faith and Thought need not be enemies, just as organic and robot need not be enemies. It makes sense, brother. The more you have working with you towards a goal, the quicker it tends to get done...and the goal I have in mind?"

Gamma looked up, as if gazing into Heaven. "...to help better this world."

...

...

...

... "YOU GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE!" One robot yelled angrily as his "daughter" tried to calm him down. He pointed a three-digited fist at them, growling darkly. "You blew my house to pieces! You blew my WIFE to pieces! You LAUGHED!" He roared.

"Oh dear." Another robot said, with another still getting it's leg re-attached by a purple cat with a gem in the center of her forehead.

"I don't really give a rat's ass whatcha think of me." Silver the Hedgehog said, his quills hovering in the air slightly as he cracked the robot's chest open. "I need to repair your life ring and only Life Magic will do that. So you can sit down, shut up, and let me fix you, or you can, well, bleed to death."

"...do you think that you're making amends for what your countrymen are doing?" Another robot asked Silver as Blaze shook her head. "Trying to cover up national guilt through individual action? You disgusting hypocrite, you-"

"Hypocrite-schmipocrite, I just want to save lives." Silver said as a shining blast of light bathed over the robot's life ring, the large cracks healing as he dusted himself off. "Blaze, how's the other patient?"

Blaze closed up the chest compartment of another robot. "He's all good to go." She said, letting him go over towards his family, whom they'd also treated.

"Why don't you just leave?" One robot asked nervously. "They'll probably wipe us all out soon."

"I think we can protect you just fine." Silver said with a grin. "We've been doing fine so far, haven't we?"

"You're so naïve." Blaze laughed, leaning against him and kissing him on the cheek. "But that's what I like about you, Silver."

"Amy's going to be so mad at us for being late. We'll probably miss dinner again." Silver chuckled.

"I don't get it though." Blaze murmured quietly. "Silver, why are soldiers killing people they ought to be protecting?"

...

...

...

..."Soldiers should PROTECT citizens." Mighty the Armadillo snarled angrily as he sat with Rouge and Shadow in a large group of soldiers who were at a mess tent that had been set up outside of the city limits. "Not...not blow them into little pieces!"

"Metallurgy was meant to bring happiness to the people. Why is it being used to bring death?" Rouge wondered.

"Because that's the job of a State Metallurgist." A voice quacked out from across the way. They turned to see a green duck sitting on a crate, sipping some sake, a red neckerchief around his neck. Bean...the **Dynamite Metallurgist**. "The same applies to your other little question. Why are soldiers killing citizens when they should be protecting them? Because that's the duty placed upon soldiers."

"What kind of a dumbass explanation is THAT? Why should we accept such cruelty as just being part of the job?" Mighty said furiously.

"Were you not loved as a child, is that it?" Shadow wondered. "Because I'll give you a hug right now if you'll shut your face!"

"Hmm. Let me think..." Bean rubbed his chin. "You. Batgirl." He asked.

Rouge gave him a look. "What?"

"Your face is saying "I really don't wanna be here". Am I right?" The duck inquired, putting a match in his mouth and picking his "teeth". "But tell me something...can you tell me that, for one moment, you don't feel a sense of pride right after you strike an enemy down? Can you tell me there isn't one moment that you feel yourself saying "Yes, I got him" right after you've hit your target?"

Rouge's face turned even paler than usual.

"I SAID SHUT YOUR FACE!" Shadow snarled, backhanding Bean suddenly across the beak. "Stop saying stupid things!"

"YOU'RE the one who seems stupid to me." Bean said, rubbing his beak. "The battlefield is where you kill your enemy. Did you put on your uniforms not having the resolve to kill?"

Shadow's eyes widened slightly, his grip on Bean wavering.

"Trying to look for concepts like "justice" in a battlefield, that's stupid. In fact, to me, it's absolutely retarded. You won't find things like that there. So just keep moving forward." Bean said, looking deep into Shadow's eyes, red into red. "Remember the people you're killing. You owe them that much."

"These aren't "the enemy" you ignoble FREAK." Knuckles snarled, stepping into the area, pointing accusingly at Bean,. "The "enemy" is supposed to be able to fight back. Most of these robots can barely lift a WRENCH, let alone a gun! They're designed for house labor and chores, they're not engines of war!"

"One of them can take out three of our men, and you say they're not "engines of war"?" Bean mused.

"And OUR side is the one who started it! We're the ones at fault!" Knuckles went on. "We should say-"

"We should be the ones to finish it, then." Bean went on. "Do you honestly think "sorry" is going to buy ANYTHING with these people?" He asked, walking up to Knuckles, staring into his eyes. "...well?"

"..." Knuckles grit his teeth, clenching his fists as Bean walked off.

"Well, off to work!" He laughed.

As the duck walked off, Shadow turned to look over at Mighty. "Why are you fighting." He stated.

"...simple." Mighty said. "I just...want to go back. I don't want to die."

"Especially not with your 'future' waiting for you, right?" Rouge murmured.

"Yes, the reasons for the way things are always simpler than we think." Shadow thought quietly. "...I suppose I too have that kind of goal."

"...so what. We keep killing?" Knuckles asked angrily.

"...yes." Rouge mumbled, hanging her head.

"But tell me...if the reasons for things are simple...then what the hell is the reason for this war?" Knuckles roared, punching out a large hole through the mess tent.

...

...

...

..._there WAS a reason. A horrifying, terrible reason for what was going on in Shanazar._

_Prisoners who were captured were being used as raw materials to create Chaos Emeralds. Big the Cat watched in horror, eyes wide, unable to look away as bloody rust covered the bodies of the screaming Shanazarans, their life rings fading into grey, their bodies flopping to the ground as their oil pooled out..._

_So thick...too much like blood in tone..._

_And the end result...a shimmering little emerald in the center of the room he and his fellow scientists were in. Big picked it up, holding it in hands, biting his lip. It made him feel dirty just holding it...and it seemed to pulse in his hand like a heart..._

Omega pinned Big to the wall, a furious glint in his eyes. "YOU SLAUGHTERED MY PEOPLE TO MAKE THOSE...THOSE THINGS?" He snarled. "Where...where did it go?"

"That chaos emerald was given to Bean the **Dynamite Metallurgist**." Big explained sadly. "It amplified his powers..."

"Bean? Was he a duck with green feathers, a red neckerchief and eyes as cold as an unlit fuse?" Omega growled.

"Yes, that's him to a "t"." Big insisted.

Omega thought back to his brother, and with a snarl held Big up in the air. "THEN what happened?"

"He...blew stuff up...and everything started goin' well for us." Big explained. "It wasn't long before...well..." He mumbled...

...

...

...

..."Ahhhhhhhh." Bean said, leaning back in a chair as he tossed the chaos emerald up and down, oil splattered over his feathers, a lugnut dripping down like an eyeball off his shoulder. "Nothing like the smell of napalm in the mornin'! Oooooooh." He quivered eagerly. "I wonder if this is some kind of sexual fetish for me. If it IS...I **LIKE** it!" He laughed. "This entire city block's gonna be one giant monument erected to my power!"

He stood up, smiling. "Well, enough gloating. Time to get another erection going!"

...

...

...

... "So...it was only a matter of time before they were all exterminated." Rouge finished up, shaking her head as Sonic sat there in his chair, looking horrified at what he'd heard.

"...that's..." He whispered. "...I..."

The sheer cruelty of all of it. It was just...

"Then Bokkun appeared with a white flag to negotiate peace." Rouge said suddenly. "He wanted to try and surrender..."

...

...

...

... "Sir?" Pir'Oth Ix said, saluting his commanding officer Drago T. Wolf as others stood around in the officers tent, looking the prisoners over. "Master Bokkun has offered himself and his private guard up in surrender. He wants to speak to Dr. Eggman and negotiate with him the surrender of himself in exchange for his people's safety."

"PHEW." Mighty whispered, wiping his head. About time, he thought. At long last the fighting might-

"Are you RETARDED?" Drago snapped, folding his arms before he adjusted his thick jacket.

Uhoh, the others thought.

"Who told you to stop fighting? This is an extermination! Return to your stations!" Drago ordered.

The others looked around at each other.

"Well!" The wolf snapped, wheeling around. "Hurry up and get going, your orders are-"

"Did you know, sir, that 25% of the combat casualties have apparently been from superior officers dying at the hands of their own men?" Pir'Oth Ix asked, as he grabbed Drago's neck.

CRACK!

The wolf fell to the ground as Ix shrugged. "Oops. He "tripped"."

"Yep, he tripped." Mighty agreed.

"NASTY fall." The others all said, nodding their heads.

And so, Bokkun was brought before Dr. Eggman, who sat behind a large table, his generals stationed around him.

"Am I hearing what I think I'm hearing?" Dr. Eggman inquired, rubbing his chin. "You want to give up your life to save the remaining thousands?"

"Well, yes." Bokkun said. "As leader of the Shanazarans, I'm supposed to think of my people's safety first."

"You're not SCARED of me?" Dr. Eggman asked.

"Oh, _petrified_." Bokkun insisted. "If I was organic, I would have peed myself already, but even if I'm scared, I must still think of my people." He said, shrugging.

"Don't get so prideful." Dr. Eggman snapped. "One life is only worth one life. I'm not going to stop the campaign just because you want to go all "afterschool special" on me."

"How about stopping the campaign because you're violating international law by rejecting terms of surrender?" Bokkun growled, Dr. Eggman giving him an annoyed look. "Do you think you'll actually get AWAY with such open cruelty, you foul thing? Even YOU must be held to a higher standard, be it God's, or that of humanity's!"

"Pffffft..." Dr. Eggman began to laugh uproariously. "Don't be STUPID." He snapped. "By the time the UN bothered to condemn my actions, every single one of you would already be dead. It would be nothing more than a symbolic effort. They wouldn't risk it. No, you're totally alone. And nobody is going to "stop" me. Once you're in a position of power, the only standards which matter are your own."

"You...DISGUSTING..." Bokkun growled.

"You son of a BITCH!" Another Shanazaran snarled.

"You'll PAY for this cruelty!"

"WE'LL MAKE YOU PAY, WE SWEAR IT!" They shouted, snarling at him as the others looked around, watching as the Shanazarans were taken away by Mighty.

...

...

...

..._ultimately...it finally did come to an end. And everyone began to return home._

"Our foot soldiers barely did much against them until WE joined the fight." Mighty said, looking over at Shadow.

"Yes...one person doesn't always amount to very much." Shadow admitted as they stood. "But I've got an idea. Those below me will protect those below them. We're only average people. We should be able to do at least THAT." The black-furred hedgehog said, folding his arms, a deep, sorrowful expression on his features as Mighty twirled one of his knives before sheathing it back in place.

"Good goals, my friend." Mighty told him, placing his sunglasses back on, making the light reflect off in an eerie manner. "Of course, if ya wanna go about protectin' everyone in this country, you're gonna need to be at the one the buck stops at. YOU'RE gonna have to be the head honcho."

"Yeah, that's how geometric progression works." Shadow said. "...you know..." He turned to look to the far right, seeing Dr. Eggman, Autocrat of the Eggman Empire standing there with his top brass, overlooking the assembled troops, a banner displayed beneath the ledge he was on. "It must feel awfully good being in that seat. But I can't climb up to there on my own, I think."

He turned to smirk a little at Mighty. "Would you mind getting your hands dirty?"

"Ain't no thang but a chicken wang." Mighty laughed, taking off his sunglasses and dusting them off. "I'll help you go the distance, a'ight? Let's see your idealism change this country."

**Author's Note:**

**Wow. This was a REAAAALLY long chapter. And a really revealing one, I'd hope. Please, review! :D  
**


	27. In the Name of the People of Rome

_Science centers around explaining how the world works in terms that all can find common. _

_Faith is about explaining WHY the world works in terms one cannot ignore. _

_The two are rarely compatible. And Magic's foundation is found in faith. The elements of the world, the manipulation of time and space, the healing of any and all wounds, these are possible with magic, as long as you remember..._

_All magic has a price._

_Nothing...is free..._

**Episode Twenty-Six**

**ローマの人々のために**

**In the Name of the People of Rome**

"I'm amazed that anybody got out of the dunes of Shanazar alive." Big murmured sadly, shaking his head. "...what occurred there was...it weren't right. It weren't right at all..."

"From what Master Bokkun told me some time ago, he almost DIDN'T get away..."Omega remarked, and he would have frowned had he the ability...or any sort of facial features.

"From what I had heard..." Rouge went on. "It was some time after the fighting had totally ceased that the pair of life magic users had..." She hung her head slightly, not going on. "...from what the survivors reported..."

...

...

...

... "Please! Open up! Open up!" Bokkun sobbed, banging on the door to the "Saint Catherine of Sienna's Church" that was several dozen miles out of town, on the border of Shanazar.

"We've been abandoned by our allies, please, we need your help!" Others called out.

"Sir...what should we do?" A mousey Nun inquired of the Father, who nervously bit his lip, sitting in his chair as he looked at the door across from where he was sitting. He could hear them banging away on the outside.

"In the name of the LORD, open up!" Bokkun begged tearfully.

And with that, the doors suddenly, slowly, began to slide open as the Priest and the Nun let them inside. "This way." The Nun, Hannah, insisted. "We've not much time."

Meanwhile, Silver was desperately pumping air into a wounded soldier's lungs whilst Blaze tended to another Shanazaran child. "C'mon, c'moooon!" he told the wounded hedgehog. "You're not going to die here. I refuse to let you!"

"Darn it, we're running...running out of time." Blaze murmured. "I don't know how much magic power I've got left in me."

"We have to keep trying." Silver insisted. "I don't care if we're runnin' on only fumes..."

"So you see..." The white-furred echidna remarked, leaning back in his chair, adjusting the glasses he was wearing. "This pair of Life Magic Users refused our request for them to go home. They've remained there, treating even Shanazarans." The Echidna told Bean as Bean nonchalantly tossed an unlit, round, black bomb up and down into the air.

"That's very ballsy of them!" Bean remarked cheerily. "I LIKE people like them. You got two things in this world: your word, and your balls, and I, personally, don't break them for anythin'."

"If I wanted to hear about your balls, I'd take you out to dinner and a movie. Now..." The echidna leaned forward in his chair. "The problem being that they are thick in the enemy's position, and if we tried to go in and save them, we'd experience a huge loss. So..."

His smile was the work of demons. "Perhaps...it would be best...if they met with an unfortunate accident while we took FOREVER to reach them?"

"...well...in that case...what place do you want me to blow to smithereens next?" Bean inquired with a grin.

SOON...

KRUDDA-BOOOOOOOM!

"Ahhhhh." Bean calmly lit another match, putting it in his mouth like it was a cigarette. "Few things quite like a good explosion. Especially a crowded street, heh-heh."

"...is that...a hand?" A female Flicky named Nina asked, pointing with horror at a mangled mess some distance from her, some of the other soldiers looking a bit mortified at the immense destruction that was littered all around them. The oil that leaked out from these things was far too much like their own blood...

"We need to get out of here." Gamma said as he quickly deposited several things into a containment capsule, walking out of the building he'd been in, several dozen other Shanazarans following after him. "We'd best go and escape to the East, towards Soleanna. It's a pacifistic country, they'll aid us."

"How disgusting that all of our other neighbors won't even talk about what's happening..." Omega mumbled. "Our people are being slaughtered, and they don't do anything but sit on their hands..."

"Listen, I want you to hold onto this." Gamma said, giving a small, tiny disc to Omega, opening up his "mouth" region and inserting it inside.

"What is this?" Omega asked, hands flying to his "mouth" in surprise. "This...all your research?"

"You're of a much sturdier make than I am. You underwent more combat training than I did. You're more likely to survive than I am." Gamma said calmly.

"Welly-welly-well."

They all turned to see a green duck standing in an alley nearby. He calmly stepped out, a match burning in his beak. "Isn't THIS interesting?"

Gamma noticed the rings on his wrists. "HE'S A METALLURGIST!" He gasped. "Everyone, RUN-" He yelled out.

Too late. Bean had held his hands up, and with a flash of light and cloud of dust, an enormous, big, black bomb was launched in their direction...

Gamma rushed in front of his brother...

Pain.

...darkness...

Laughter of a twisted, monstrous soul...

...

...

...

... "dammit...DAMMIT..." Nina the Flicky muttered as she trod through the wreckage, Bean's laughter lingering on. "Did ANYONE make it out alive?" She murmured, rings around her wrist glittering as a cool cloud of icy air wafted around her. "...hello?" She called out. "**Hello**!"

"...fire...police...rape...alms for the poor..." A vaguely squeaky voice called out.

Nina turned her head to see that a nearly scrapped robot was holding a badly injured robot up with his now-turned-to-stubs appendages. One had the symbol "Gamma" on him. The other, the one who had his chest compartment open and a decapitated Life Ring, had "Omega".

Nina rushed to their side. "What's wrong? How can I help?"

"...my brother's...overheating...cool him down...while I...fix this..." Gamma murmured, opening up his chest compartment. Nina carefully passed her wings over Omega, her rings glowing as icy vapor chilled his frame, cooling him. Gamma felt his hands wrap around the Life Ring he had within his chest...

His brother had to live. He HAD to.

And then Nina witnessed the robot do the most brave thing she'd ever seen. A thing that cost him his life. His frame fell to the ground...unmoving.

Nina gently lowered Omega to the ground as she knelt by Gamma, one wing resting on his "cheek". "...I'm sorry." She whispered. "...I'm so sorry..."

...

...

...

...where was he? His optics...everything was muddled and fuzzy...

"Don't move." A voice said to him in a slightly condescending tone. "You'll hurt yourself, alright?"

"Wh-what's..." He murmured.

"Hold on, hold on." Blaze said, taking a deep breath as Silver helped some of the other patients sneak out the back way.

"Go, go to the East! The caravan's leaving right now!" He insisted, pushing another Shanazaran out the door, then turning to Blaze. "How's our latest patient?"

"Where...am I?" Omega murmured, sitting up in the bed he was in.

"You're going to be alright. You were brought in almost totally obliterated. Even with that new Life Ring transplanted into you, it was hard for me to heal you." Blaze said.

"...what." Omega's red eyes widened. "...new...Life...Ring?"

"You don't know? Look." Blaze said, holding up a large mirror for him to see.

What he saw inside of his chest compartment made him let out a howling, rage-filled scream of fury.

...

...

...

... "They called this a "hospital"? I've seen gas station bathrooms that were cleaner than this." Bean commented as he headed inside of the building where Silver and Blaze had been shackled up. The entire place was an absolute mess. There were discarded tools littered all around, various beds in poor condition, cracked walls...

Blood...on the cracked walls. Blood from two bodies that were lying in a pile nearby, their chests and necks slashed open by what looked like sharp, powerful claws.

"I can't believe it. They go through all that trouble to save Shanazarans and one of them KILLS them?" A guard muttered as Bean picked up a photograph that was in Blaze's nearby purse, Nina standing nearby, looking glum as she stood with the other soldiers.

"They went onto this field to do their duty just as you did yours. Only their duty was to save lives, not take them." Bean said softly. "...I really wanted to meet them before..." He trailed off softly, looking at the photograph before him, of a hedgehog, a cat, and their young daughter.

"I feel disgusting." Nina finally said. "When I became a State Alchemist, I envisioned my duty to be PROTECTING people from threats, not...not BEING a threat. Certainly not to people like this."

"You did a good job with MY troop." Bean said simply. "You didn't run away. You didn't leave us behind. You didn't let any of my men die in vain. I think you did very well." He said, holding out his hand.

"...I'll take my compliments from a man who doesn't get off on seeing people explode like popcorn in a microwave." Nina said coldly, slapping his hand away, turning and leaving.

...

...

...

... "You had to go through a lot." Sonic told Rouge.

"...the campaign isn't over. Not in my mind." Rouge murmured. "The government still..." She held her head in her hands, taking a few deep breaths. "Sonic, do you know why I don't use a gun? Because a sword, a knife...it leaves you with the feeling of somebody dying in your arms. I didn't want to deceive myself into thinking I can be distanced from the act of killing."

"...I'm sorry." Sonic said softly.

"The worst part is that even if Shadow DOES become the new ruler over this land, he wants to turn it into a democracy. As long as this country is a military state, people will be fighting and dying over the stupidest little border skirmishes. So we'll install a true parliament. We'll talk to other nations, reduce our armaments. And abolish the stupid "State Metallurgist" institution. This way, we won't need to search out people to use as living weapons." Rouge went on.

"That makes sense." Sonic admitted. "...wait. Wait! I read the old tales about World War II. People who said they were just following orders who engaged in the Holocaust, they were tried as murderers all the same. Isn't it possible that YOU'LL be tried once the country changes to a democracy? Shadow will go from being a hero to being a mass murderer!"

"He doesn't care." Rouge explained.

"...no, and I guess I wouldn't either." Sonic said, leaning back in his chair. "I move too fast to hold a grudge. I just try to do what I feel is right at the time. That's all I've EVER tried to do. But Rouge...that isn't fair." He insisted.

"What?"

"Of course you want other people to be happy. But don't you want to be happy yourself? Self-sacrifice...most of the time it's just self-satisfaction if another way can be found! You shouldn't have to throw your life away if we can think of another way out!" Sonic insisted, slamming his fists onto the table. **"My brother didn't save your life so you could go and throw it away after you've changed this country!"**

"It's NOT self-sacrifice." She said. "It's atoning. And you have something YOU feel the need to atone for...don't you?" She asked.

Sonic blinked a few times, then bit his lip. "..."

"I know it's...hard to think about. Even MY brain hurts sometimes trying to wrap my head around it. But I'll still move forward." Rouge insisted.

"..."

"So that's why I became a medical examiner." Chuck Thorndyke finished with his tale, sitting across from Tails. "In the name of "protecting the peace" I studied corpse after corpse. And I even helped with creating a Chaos Emerald." He added. "...I was a doctor. So why was I killing people?"

"...that's..." Marine murmured as she and Elise sat with Tails, who looked down at his own stubby, doll hands.

"So I don't want you two fighting." Chuck insisted. "I don't want to see children killing each other."

Elise and Marine looked down at their feet, feeling ashamed of their little feud as Chuck nodded at Tails, leaving him to go head upstairs. Marine finally spoke up as Elise left the room. "I...I wanted ta thank ya for savin' me, mate." She said.

"Thanks! I'm Miles Prower."

"Prower?" She scratched her head. "Huh?"

"My father, NiGHTS, gave me that name. I'm Sonic's little brother." Tails said. "I have this body because of an accident, but when I put these rings on..." He slipped his rings back on his body, and Marine looked him over.

"...tell me, uh...out of curiosity..." Marine asked. "...do you...have a girlfriend? Say, that, ah, pink hedgehog?"

"Nah, Amy's a good friend of mine, but I don't like her THAT way." Tails said.

Marine tried to picture Tails in a few years from now. And the mental image she got in her head?

A foxy head on David Hasselhoff's body.

**SFX: Wolf Whistle**

"Helloooooo." She thought to herself. She immediately shook his hand. "I really, REALLY would love to help you get your original body back!"

...

...

...

...Sonic and Tails met back up together later in the night, our two brothers sitting at Central City park as the skies hung limply over their heads. They sat together, looking out into the dark sky over the park, the statue of Eggman they were sitting underneath continuing to point stubbornly forward.

"So..." Tails broke the silence. "Rouge told you all about the Shanazaran Campaign?"

"Yes."

"So did Mr. Thorndyke." Tails told him. "...he didn't leave one detail out."

"...you know, it's made me think. Once we do get your old form back...once my arms and limbs get fixed for good...what're we gonna do?" Sonic asked.

"Well, for starters, I want to chip away at this list." Tails said, holding up his "List of Things To Eat Once I Get My Body Back". "And then I want to go into Rocketry. I want to explore outer space one day...fly even higher!"

"Me...I'd just like to see the world." Sonic said. "...see everyone's smiling faces." He added softly, with a grin. "And I figured out something that might help. That girl, Marine. She was able to use a kind of magic in that place, right? Well maybe..."

"Maybe those arts can be used against Void?" Tails smiled broadly. "I like the way you think! But Marine told me that she was leaving the city tomorrow morning..."

"Well, we'd better hurry over there, then!"

MEANWHILE...

"Just...just do it." Big murmured, hanging his head. "I could never make up for all the terrible things I did. It's why I ran away from my family after the war...I didn't want anything to do with my old life. I know I've been a coward...but I deserve all of this stuff."

"..." Omega looked away, his voice becoming very low, and very quiet. "...killing you...would not aid me." He murmured. "Do not misunderstand me, I might get some momentary pleasure from ending your existence, but a greater logic dictates that you assist me with my endeavors." He turned to Big. "You're in Metallurgy, right?"

"Yes, I use Life Magic." Big said. "And some other kinds of metallurgy too, basics and the like."

"My brother said that there was something about Mobian Metallurgy that disturbed him. What would you know of that?" Omega asked, wheeling around.

"...well..." Big scratched his head. "I think I can figure that out, yeah."

"Well we'll have to get you out of here." Omega said. "And I know of a way to do that."

"...huh?"

Sometime later, Metal Sonic rapped on the door, carrying a tray with food. "Here, kitty-kitty-kitty!" Metal Sonic laughed. "I've got some catnip for you!" He frowned, not hearing anything in the prisoner's cell, opening up the door with Void walking behind him. "...what...in..."

The walls were smeared with blood, looking like some kind of Jackson Pollock painting gone horribly wrong. There were scraps of fur and flesh clinging to the walls where Big had...well...

"Did he launch that fat cat like a CANNON?" Metal gasped in clear disgust. He held one piece up. "It's all...SLUSHY..."

Void frowned, looking the scene over. "Just lovely. I just had this place repainted..."

He then noticed something off in the corner, blinking a few times as he approached it, picking it up. As he did, the glamour fell away, revealing that what Metal was holding was not parts from a cat body...but from last meal's dinner. It had been a holographic illusion.

"...you know, Metal, I told you this when I changed you and I'll say it again...I disliked your kind in many ways. But you cannot deny they don't have STYLE..."

...

...

...

... "Oh, you're back!" Nack announced, roasting a marshmallow over a fire he'd made in a trash can. He tilted his head, noticing the new addition to their little group. Marine had returned to their camp, but so had Omega and-

"...Big?" Nack asked. "Are you Big the Cat?"

"Oh, Big?" Marine asked, looking happily at Big. "I heard 'boutcha from Mr. Thorndyke! You were that doctor friend of his!"

Big bit his lip, looking down shamefully as if he was on a diet and had been caught raiding the fridge, a piece of cake matted on his muzzle. "Doctor. FAH." Omega mumbled. "He's our "hostage", you could say. Or rather, "guest-age". We must make use of his skill as a metallurgist. The problem though..."

He turned to look Big over. "Is what to do now. I cannot have you simply walking around like this...you're too...obvious. I'll need to do some alterations to your body..."

He turned to Nack. "You. Find paint. And Marine...get your special skills ready..." He turned to Big, holding up his claws. "I am about to do some on-the-spot surgery..." He remarked quietly.

He grabbed ahold of Big by his back...

...

...

...

... "...why are we always late to the party?" Sonic wondered as he hung his head, shaking it back and forth. "You're SURE she left in the middle of the night, Dr. Thorndyke?"

"I'm afraid so." Chuck said, nodding firmly as Tails sat with his brother. "She even left a note saying how grateful she was for letting her stay here"

"And she didn't say exactly WHERE she was going?" Tails asked.

"Nooooo?"

"...now what?" Sonic asked.

"We do things the old-fashioned way!" Tails told him. "You see, Sonic, in the world..." He spoke in a mystical fashion. "There are places of secret knowledge...called...LIBRARIES."

Meanwhile...

"What's this?" Ray asked as Vector handed him a package. He carefully pulled off the bow atop it and looked it over. "...the entire Rocky series?" He asked.

"If an underdog like Rocky can beat Clubber Lang in the finals of Rocky III, then you can beat this paralysis." Vector insisted proudly, smacking his own chest. "You got all his balls, dude."

"...thanks." Ray said, nodding firmly. "See you later." He told him as Bomb came inside of the room, with another present. "What's up, Bomb?"

"Here." Bomb said, giving him a tray. Ray carefully looked it over...it had lovely-decorated slices of casserole on it. "I...I made it myself. Lots of vitamins to help you grow big and strong! We'll need you to hold down the fort here, we won't be able to stick around."

Ray could tell Bomb had a nervousness to his tone. "...you alright?"

"...I don't have...a Life Ring...the way that Shanazarans do. Heavy and I don't have "souls". But...but we still..." Bomb murmured. "...I'm..."

"...yeah. I know. I know." Ray said softly. "...I'm sorry to put you through this. I'm sorry I can't go with you."

"...I wish I had eyes. I wish I could cry." Bomb admitted. "Just so I could say I'm NOT crying, I just...have something in my eye..." He whimpered, leaving the tray with Ray and heading out the door as Heavy walked inside.

"Hello." Heavy said quietly. "I've got to make a stop at Shadow's place in Central City before he leaves for his "special training". Then I'll be headed to the Western Region for my new assignment. And Bomb, he'll be down South, at the border of where Shanazar was."

"Everyone's going all over the place, aren't they?" Ray asked.

"...but I hope we meet again." Heavy said softly. "...I really do."

...

...

...

... "Rouge, good to see you." Shadow said to Rouge as she entered the room and he folded the last of his gloves into the suitcase he was packing. "I came to pick up the last of my things." He explained. "Today I leave for training at Mystic Ruins."

"Ah, to see Ms. Nuahatl, eh?" Rouge asked. "I've heard she's very skilled. I also heard Omega is on the prowl again."

"Really?" Shadow said, looking interested. "Well I think that, once my training's finished, he'll never be a threat again." He said, clenching his fist. "He'll learn to be afraid of me."

"...just don't go dying." Rouge insisted. "Alright?" She added with a wink.

"I won't. Trust me." Shadow insisted with a laugh. He then gave her a fist salute, and she left the room after returning the salute. "...sigh." He looked down at his gloves. "...my right hand is gone." He thought, looking down at his gloves. "And my left..."

_"__**Don't move, motherfucker.**__" Ray said, holding up his gun. "There's some things I wanna ask you! We want the __TRUTH!__"_

"The ones who held me up, like a strong pair of legs..." Shadow went on.

_"Pork bone and meat...carbon...ammonia-wait...what?" Heavy exclaimed. "Uh...what's all this for?"_

_"I'm going to create a burnt-up corpse." Shadow commented._

_"WHAT?" Bomb gasped._

"And the one who always watched my back and saved my butt..."

_"Oooooh, it's getting COLD in here, somebody better pay the bill!" Vector remarked as Ray began to bawl._

"...but even a decapitated wolf still has bark left in it's head." Shadow murmured, grinning broadly. He then flipped open his cell phone.

BRIIIING! BRIIIIING!

"Hello? Yes, put in a call to Mr. Jules, the Warden. Ah, Jules! Good to hear your voice. Listen...I'd like to meet you before I leave town..."

Meanwhile, quite some distance away...

"...okay." Sonic said, sighing deeply. "...HOW do you people keep sneaking in? I LOCKED the window! AND the door!" He told David as the bearded man sat on the bed, arms folded.

"I wafted in underneath the door as a vampire after feasting upon the neck of a woman down the hall." David stonily remarked.

"...really?" Sonic asked, raising a non-exsitent eyebrow as Tails stuck his tongue out in disgust.

"NO. Of course not! I just came in through the vent." He said, gesturing at the vent shaft above the doorway. "...I had to lose fifteen pounds, but that was simple enough." He added, pointing at his emaciated body. He promptly stuck his thumb into his mouth, blew, and was instantly puffed back up to his normal size.

"...riiiiight." Tails remarked, scratching his head. "So what can we help you with?"

"I need to find my daughter. Where is she?" He asked.

Sonic and Tails immediately blanched. "...er...well...see..." Sonic said nervously, rubbing the back of his head.

TEN MINUTES AND ONE VERY FAST DRIVE TO DR. THORNDYKE'S LATER...

"YOU...DID...WHAAAAAAAAAAAT?" David yelled as he looked down at his daughter. "How could...how did?" He panted slightly, clutching his head like it was a railing on a ship and he was trying to keep from being thrown off. "How could...I can't..." Finally he began to sob, tears dribbling down his eyes. "Your ARM...it's...I..." He clutched her tightly, and they wept into each other openly as Dr. Thorndyke, Sonic and Tails stood by silently.

"Elise...why couldn't I have been here sooner?" He whispered. "I'm supposed to be protecting you...I'm your **FATHER** for God's sake..."

"I...do have some good news." Sonic said gently. "I'm going to set her up for a meeting with Amy. She's skilled in _Zoe, _in advanced Life Magic."

"We can't let you do that, I'm afraid." David said suddenly. "You told me that they're watching your friends. And they know what my daughter looks like now..."

"...ohhh." Tails murmured. "...he's right. Elise would get killed on the spot..."

"I really appreciate you trying to help us." Elise said nervously. "But you have to allow us to find another Life Magic user. We don't want your friends getting hurt because of us."

"...I understand." Sonic said, nodding. He then gave them a thumbs up. "But you take care of yourselves, alright? Don't go dyin' on us!"

...

...

...

... "Eleventy-million bottles of pop on the wall, eleventy million bottles of pop..." Bean the Dynamite remarked cheerily as he calmly tossed a small, glittering orange Chaos Emerald up and down in the air, making sure it was out of sight of the little peephole in his cell.

It made him think back to those lovely days. The glory days.

"_At long last, Shanazar is utterly under military control. How did the Chaos Emerald perform in the field?"_

_"Like a DREAM, sir. I was able to use it over and over...I felt like a kid with a fancy remote control for the entire universe."_

_"Ah, good! Be sure to write up all the details in a report and send it to us."_

_"...well...actually...I'm not much for paperwork..."_

_GULP!_

_"What the? What're you doing, you insane little-GET YOUR HANDS OFF-"_

"_My metallurgy's always been simple enough...changing the composition of the elements in the air and around me into esplosive devices...but by changing the the atomic and molecular composition within a PERSON...I can turn your very MARROW into a liquid explosive! Isn't that neat?"_

_"...gaaah...naaaauuuhhhh..."_

_"Three...two...one..."  
_

"Such a lovely sound." Bean thought to himself, titling his head as he heard the sound of people approaching his cell. "Hello?"

"Time to get up. You're being released." Bruce Loboto announced as he allowed Bean outside of the cell. Soon the duck was walking down the halls with the shark and a fishy guard standing to his other side. "And believe me, you're not exactly the first choice I would have picked for being put on the release list."

"I take it this was a special order from above?" Bean inquired. "Isn't it nice to have friends in high places?" He asked Bruce cheerily. "Now can I have my neckerchief back?"

"This old ratty thing? Here." Bruce said, giving him something from his pocket...a very old-looking orange neckerchief. Bean put it around his neck and calmly headed out the door. "You murdered 7 officers. You ought to have been shot."

"Aw, shucks." Bean said, patting the shark on the back as he left the jail for good, heading out the front gate...the shark not noticing that he was getting hotter and hotter. "Thanks for taking such good care of me!"

Bean headed down the street and into a waiting taxi, smirking slightly as a horrifying explosion followed by loud screams filled the air. "Man, I'm a BASTARD, aren't I?" He asked Metal Sonic as the robot turned around, changing from his "organic" disguise to his normal form for a moment.

"Oh, indeed, but this is why I find you interesting." Metal Sonic said as he drove down the road. "We happen to have a task we need you to perform. You remember Big the Cat?"

"...ahhh, ol Tubbaguts himself? Fatty-Fatty-Two-By-Four-Can't-Fit-Through-His-Kitchen-Door?" Bean inquired. "Yeah, I remember him. What about him?"

"We BELIEVE that he's run away from us...and needs some punishing." Metal Sonic explained. "You see, he had the help of a Shanazaran with the symbol for "Omega" on his body..."

Bean's eyes widened slightly, and then a big grin came to his face. Yes. Yes, he remembered that one.

"Well-well. To think one of them got away from me." Bean remarked.

"Don't KILL Big if you find him, but...make sure he knows not to run from us...understand?" Metal Sonic went on. "And to better drive that message in...here." He tossed something behind him...a dark red chaos emerald, no bigger than a man's thumb. "I made it from his family...heck, we even used his pet frog in it."

"...that IS cruel." Bean said with a giddy little laugh. "Talk about fighting dirty!...I LOVE it. I LOVE it!" He laughed.

**Author's Note:**

**I've based the title of this chapter on a famous line from the infamous movie "Caligula", about arguably the most insane, freakish ruler in all of history, and definitely the biggest ass in all of Roman history. The things he allowed to happen in the name of the "people"...  
**


	28. In Nocturne, Chapter Reads YOU!

_Science centers around explaining how the world works in terms that all can find common. _

_Faith is about explaining WHY the world works in terms one cannot ignore. _

_The two are rarely compatible. And Magic's foundation is found in faith. The elements of the world, the manipulation of time and space, the healing of any and all wounds, these are possible with magic, as long as you remember..._

_All magic has a price._

_Nothing...is free..._

**Episode Twenty-Seven**

**ノクターン 章 読み取り あなた**

**In Nocturne, Chapter Reads YOU!  
**

Tikal Nahuatl stood before her new pupils, arms folded as she then paced slowly back and forth, hands held behind her back, eyes closed peacefully as she took in a deep breath. Her new pupils were a mismatched bunch of oddities. One was some kind of lizard with fiery, molten skin, who had stupid-looking eyes and was anxiously fidgeting in his seat. Another was a human with a very large, rounded nose and bad sideburns. Still another was a red hedgehog with a fine set of quills, another was a pink rabbit with very large muscles, an outfit that was making his package bulge a bit too big for the other's comfort, and brightly shining golden eyes.

And another was none other than Shadow the Hedgehog himself.

"Now, understand this." Tikal told them all, wheeling around to intently. "I am going to put you through the most intense training that you've all ever known. But you asked me, you CAME to me because you expected the best of the best. And if you're to gain the best knowledge and skill in magic you can gain, you will need to remember the price you pay will be high."

She then nodded firmly. "So don't complain to me that things are 'too hard'. Everything worth DOING is hard. I insist you give your all and won't accept anything else. Now then, go work on reading your texts to prepare for your first foray into your new magic field. Ibilis, Shadow, Robbie, you three are together in this room. You two remaining shall be together with me. We'll be looking over some Islamic texts on fire magic."

With a nod, she left with the hedgehog and the human, the hedgehog grinning at them all. "Ha, I've mastered all the other elements so far, and I'm gonna master this one easy! Nothin's too hard for Rad the Hedgehog!"

"You should be a LOT more concerned!" Ibilis, the burning-skinned lizard insisted. "Ms. Nahuatl's the most powerful magic-user I've ever seen. To say you can so easily master any of her magic is akin to BLASPHEMY, you...you...HERETIC!" He snapped. "Watch your tongue or I'll cut it out!"

"Fah." Rad laughed. "Nothing's too hard for Rad the Hedgehog!" He said, pointing at his handsome, well-built form, his beautiful face glittering. "Rad's gonna ace everythin'-"

"Martin Stu, if you please?" Tikal called out from the other room. "Your friend Rastapopoulos has already started on the second page."

Rad took off into the other room as Ibilis began looking over a book on chaos magic and the energy it could create as the rabbit named Robbie approached Shadow. "Good to see you're here, Shadow. I was getting concerned after I heard about you getting into some kind of little "issue" with our lord, Dr. Eggman. I was worried he might have fired you. Glad to see you just decided to take some time off for training."

"...uh, do I know-" Shadow began.

The rabbit took out the contacts it was wearing, revealing distinctly blue eyes, and Shadow's eyes bulged in surprise. "...Van...ill...a?" He squeaked out. "...is...that...?" He murmured, pointing at the disguise she was wearing.

"Oh no, no, this isn't ACTUAL rabbit skin, I assure you." She went on. "What, did you think I was going to take my dead husband's body, skin it, and wear it as a suit?"

"Actually, that's not too bad of a guess considering the amount of Nightmare Fuel that author's introduced to the story." Ibilis remarked, looking up from his book with a bit of a grin.

"Huh?" The other two said, staring at him.

Ibilis just went back to reading. "Hmm. Disana! Diatas batu karang! Hmm. This is...Indonesian, yeah, Indonesian. Such a pretty language!"

"He's an odd one." Vanilla remarked before turning back to Shadow. "I've been here a few times before, and I tell you, I've seen his nose in a book every single time. I think he's attended her classes a dozen times over. Yet all I really now about him is his name."

"I'm actually rather glad you're here. I've some bad news to tell you." Shadow told him as he looked over a book on Chaos Energy.

...

...

...

... "I seeeeee." Vanilla said, frowning darkly. "All of them are in on a conspiracy, huh?...even my dear old little birdie friend." She sighed.

Shadow had not told her about Dr. Eggman actually being a Golem. Only that they were being CONTROLLED by some. He was glad she didn't ask about whether or not her husband was being used, or one of the ones doing the using.

"And to think, now all of your men are scattered all over Mobius." She gave him a sympathetic nod and a smile. "You know...not too many years ago, I met with Speedy for a little cup of tea." She sighed deeply. "He asked me an odd question after we'd gotten to dicuss the old days when we'd been out in the field."

"What was the question?" He asked.

"Wouldn't you like to have a cyborg army?" She told him. "He told me a cyborg army would make all the difference in a battle. They'd be powerful, immortal, loyal, all the "uhl" words you most want to hear."

"What did you say?" Shadow inquired, looking interested.

"I told him "Listen you whiny little prick, I know you lost all your men in the war, but trying to create a home-grown army to fill the void in your heart is just egotistical and self-serving. Crying over the past never helped anyone". He began to cry for half an hour, took off sobbing, and the next day, I was transferred." Vanilla explained calmly.

"You really got the short end. If you'd been in charge of the Eastern-wait." Shadow frowned slightly. "...the Eastern...near that town of "Knothole" where the **Metal Brotherhood** went to..." He mumbled. "Something's not right. Things should have quieted down after the Eastern Forces of our army headed in..."

"That worked for all of fifteen seconds until the CENTRAL forces came marchin' in." Vanilla told him. "Things started going to hell in a handbasket after that. But after hearing what you've told me...well..."

She grinned at him, eyes glittering. "I can feel my ambition filling me once again. I'll do what I can to bring them down. Tomorrow I'll head back to Central and I'll make little Cream proud!"

There was a loud whistle, and they turned their heads to see Tikal was standing there, holding onto some envelopes as Rad and Rastapopoulos stood by her. "I'm giving you all a specific allotment of money. You're not to use any of your own: you're to spend it on food and food alone, understand?" She said, handing them each an envelope.

"Ha! The RAD is gonna bring back some yummy-yummy-yummy to put into my tummy!" Rad said as Rastapopoulos smelled the envelope, grinning broadly.

It wasn't long before all of them were outside in Mystic Ruins, looking around for delis and restaurants. Rad, unfortunately...had spent all of his money already due to the fact that he'd dropped his envelope into a sewer grating by accident.

Well, actually, not ALL of his money. He had two dollars in his pocket, and what Tikal wouldn't know wouldn't hurt her! There had to be SOMEWHERE around here that-

"Wait...that smell..." Rad murmured. "There's no doubt about it! Bread! Sweet, toasty, buttery bread!" He remarked happily, seeing Ibilis leave the bakery with a sack filled with large loaves of bread. The magma-scaled lizard noticed Rad and blinked stupidly a few times before he finally took off running, Rad right on his heels.

"C'mon! GIMME!-GIMME!-GIMMEEEE!" Rad shouted, jumping on his bag, trying to paw at the bread, forcing Ibilis to the ground as the lizard tried to push him away.

"Gerroff me!" The lizard growled.

"Gimme that bread! I can tell from the smell alone it's WONDERFUL, I must have it!"

"Hey, that's enough!" Shadow called out, approaching him, frowning darkly at him. He tossed Rad off of Ibilis and helped him up. "You get out of here or I'll throw you halfway across the city."

Rad muttered angrily under his breath about how they'd suffer his "rad-venge" and took off as Shadow held up a six pack of Cherry Coke. "Want some?" He asked.

Ibilis blinked a few times, then extended his bag of bread, grinning. "Take some!" He insisted.

Soon the two were sitting down, munching away on the bread. "I hope you don't think I'm intruding on your lunch." Shadow told him, unaware that Tikal was watching from a distance, smiling in approval.

"Uh-uh." Ibilis said cheerily, biting into his bread.

"So, I've heard you go to Ms. Nuahatl's classes often. Is this true?" Shadow inquired, interested.

The magma-scaled lizard swallowed a large chunk of bread, then nodded firmly. "All the time! I kinda just watched her from afar at first, but then I got interested in learning more about what she did. So I took some classes from her on basic magic...and then I got into the more advanced field...and now I'm going through chaos training, just like you." He told Shadow. "My big specialty's a type of Fire Magic and crystallization through..." he scratched his head. "What's the term? Oh, right! Synthesis with the Earth Element. I combine them to create neat little things."

He held out one three-clawed hand and concentrated as a burning chunk of rock began to form in his hand, oozing up from his body. It began to harden and cool, slowly transforming into a rough diamond...

And then that rough diamond had taken on the shape of a little hedgehog. A wild one, not a sapient. He handed it to Shadow, who looked it over. "Oh my. This is...this is very impressive." Shadow said, feeling the texture.

"My whole body underwent experimentation." Ibilis said. "My creator was trying to replicate the creature from old tales of djinn and the like. I suppose he succeeded in a sense, my body's practically living magma."

Ibilis then bit into another loaf, a smaller one, swallowing it down in one gulp before cheerily waving goodbye to Shadow. "See you back at the training hall!" He called out as Shadow waved goodbye to him as well.

There had been something slightly unusual about that thing's eyes. They'd been such a dark, dark shade it had been hard to see into them...

A FEW DAYS LATER...

"UUUUUUGGGGHHHH." Sonic moaned as he lay sprawled across a dozen or so books in the Central City library. _**"Bored-bored-bored-bored-bored-bored-bored-bored..." **_He sang out.

"SHHH! This is a LIBRARY!" The Wax whispered from behind a bookshelf before heading back to work.

"I've been at this for two hours and I haven't found a thing." Sonic muttered to himself, sitting back at one of the library's tables, resting his head in his palms. "This library's supposed to have the biggest amount of books in all of Mobius and there's not one single book about Soleanna!"

"Hello there, Sonic." Knuckles said, putting down the newspaper, suddenly appearing right next to Sonic.

"What the? How did you sneak..." Sonic spluttered.

"SHH. Library." Knuckles whispered, putting a finger to his mouth. "Listen, I've got good news. I heard you were looking for a girl who has a koala for a pet? Well, I was at the train station seeing Shadow off when I noticed just such a girl getting on a train to the North...heading towards Nocturne!"

He then smiled. "And up there at the cliffsides of Nocturne at Camp Nocturnus, that's where my sister lives. But, uh...don't piss her off." He added with a bit of a grin, knowing Sonic would do just that as he cheerily waved goodbye.

Elsewhere in the library, looking through a large pile of books, Tails sighed, burying his head in a large tome. "This is going nowhere. There's not one single scrap of information on Yakin Shīru or Soleanna! We don't even know how it works..." He thought to himself. "And it could be the edge we need to-"

It was then that he noticed a small chao with a pink bow tie was staring up at him, eyes filled with awe, little stars sparkling around him as he stood near a small rabbit with a pretty dress and blue eues.

"Ooooooooh!" It said. "It's you, it's YOU! You're Miles Per Hour, aka Tails! You're the brother of Sonniku, aren'tcha?" It asked happily.

"It's LOVELY to meet you, sir." The rabbit told him, giving a curtsy.

"It's "Miles PROWER", but yes, I'm Tails." Tails told him, looking down at the chao in surprise. He'd seen so many talking chao lately this wasn't TOO surprising, but here in a public place? Who was this strange being?

"Whatcha lookin' at?" The chao asked, bouncing up to the table and looking down. "My sister Cream here's got a stupid ol' Assigned Reading List that the school makes her go through. She's had to read "Catcher in the Rye" eighteen times though! It's so boring!"

"Ah, I'm trying to research the magical Ring Arts of the holy kingdom of Soleanna." Tails informed the two.

"Ooooooh! Soleanna? I've heard of that place!" The rabbit, apparently named Cream, said, clasping her hands together. "It's supposed to be really, really beautiful! But..." She then tilted her head to the side slightly in confusion. "Why are you looking up other types of magic?"

Tails did the first thing that came to mind. He lied.

"It's for world peace." He explained.

**BGM: My Country Tis of Thee**

"For you see, Yakin Shīru specializes in the field of medicine!" Tails went on, placing one hand upon his heart, speaking dramatically as The Wax held up a small stereo, the music playing dramatically in the background. "I'm always looking for new ways to better save lives and help improve this country!"

"Ohhhhhh." The chao said happily, hugging Cream. "See? I TOLD you he and his brother were amazing!"

"You're right, Cheese! These guys are real saints!" Cream said, nodding her head.

"Hey, Tails!" Sonic called out, entering the room. "Get your stuff packed! I've got a new lead on that...who're they?" He asked, noticing the chao and the rabbit.

"Ooh, it's the **Blue Blur**!" Cheese said, pointing at Sonic. He then poked him in his stomach. "Looking "prosperous" there! Hey, is it hard to see your feet over this stomach of yours?" He wanted to know.

Sonic immediately turned gold, a red glint in his eyes, lightning crackling around his fist as he held it up in the air. "**Wanna run that by me AGAIN?**" He muttered darkly.

"It's true, you DO snap when somebody calls you fat! Hey, you know, you'd get a liposuction free if you go to Dr. Mario's place and say Luigi sent you. You shoulda seen my daddy's BUTT back a few years back, it was HUGE until Dr. Mario sucked it out and-" Cheese went on.

"Wait...are you...Cream and Cheese?" Sonic asked suddenly, turning back to normal as Vanilla entered the room with a small guard surrounding her.

"Yes, these are my children. I'm sorry Cheese is so excitable, he's always admired you." Vanilla told Sonic with a laugh.

"And I just LOVE Magic!" Cream added as she hugged her mother, Cheese doing the same. "One day I wanna be a State Metallurgist so I can help out my daddy!"

"Yeah, he's the BEST!" Cheese said, nodding eagerly.

"You...really love him, don't you?" Sonic said softly.

"Even though neither of us are blood relations, and even though I'm a "lab rat"..." Cheese admitted. "He still cares for us like we're his own flesh and blood." The talking chao said. "People were unnerved by the idea of me being his son, but he cares for us so much that all they can see is the love he has for us, and I couldn't be happier!"

"He's so devoted to his family." Vanilla said. "Though I tell you, he didn't understand a THING about dating." She added with a wink, beginning to giggle. "Hee-hee-hee...oh, Ivo is gonna **kill** me for saying this, but on our first date, he..."

Dr. Eggman, who had been overhearing everything from hidden cameras installed in the library, grabbed ahold of his hair, pulling in horror. "**AAAAAAAAAA!**" He screamed.

Soon the three of them had to say goodbye to Sonic and Tails, who looked at each other. "Those poor guys ain't got a clue what their loving husband and devoted father really is." Sonic told Tails sadly. "I do NOT wanna be the one to tell them the bad news." He admitted.

"In any case, let's head to the train station." Tails said. "If we're lucky, we'll be able to reach Nocturne by tomorrow!"

...

...

...

... "This sucks." Sonic announced.

He and Tails were now trudging along a battered, weary-looking road as a torrential downpour came down in a thick deluge above their heads. Not wanting to waste magical power on trying to create some kind of perpetual umbrella, they'd just brought along raincoats. But even THESE weren't really doing a good job in keeping them dry.

"Next time, let's bring umbrellas instead of raincoats." Sonic insisted. "I HATE all this water."

The continuing deluge of rain was like the beating of a large, powerful series of drums all around them, filling their ears with the "pumpa-pumpa-pump" sound of continuously falling raindrops. Shivering slightly, Sonic and Tails continued down the road, wading through thick water...not noticing that the water around their feet was rising.

Meanwhile, somebody else was busy being seemingly oblivious to clear danger. Omega was sneaking onto another train, helping a fat-looking figure get into a carriage in the back. Bean grinned, taking out the match from his mouth and smirking slightly as he slunk along the railway, sneaking onto the back car, waiting to hear Omega's thick footprints leaving.

All he needed was five seconds alone with this fat cat, he thought, quickly sliding inside the car, the enormous, rotund figure stopping stock still, apparently in shock upon being caught, it's back turned to Bean.

"Did you really think you were just going to be able to skirt away without getting caught?" Bean asked, calmly approaching, grabbing at the hooded cloak that the fat cat was wearing. "How stupid do you really think we are, dear Big-"

The cloak was pulled away, revealing Nack, who promptly opened up his mouth as a small muzzle stuck out to point in Bean's face.

"Ohshit." Bean mumbled.

**BUDDA-BLAM!** A sharp plasma blast knocked him out of the carriage car as Bean snarled furiously, looking up to see a robot standing above him...claws clenched tightly. "If you are so clever, why is it that you have never heard the term "distraction"?" Omega commented with an unmistakable air of smugness in him as Bean leaped up on top of the car that he was on.

"...you." Bean spoke quietly, smirking slightly as Omega now got a good look at Bean. A very, VERY good look at him. He'd heard stories about the Dynamite Metallurgist, but now this being's face was all-too-familiar. "There was a robot much like you who was in the 2nd District of Shanazar. He had the Greek symbol "Gamma" on his shoulder...chicken legs...and he was standing right in front of you when I blew the place to blazes."

Bean absentmindedly put a hand on his hip, sniggering slightly. "Do tell me! How IS he?"

Omega's claws twitched. "..."

"I am NEVER doing that move again!" Nack swore as he quickly ran to the back of the car, panting, the rings around his hat glittering. "I'd forgotten how DISGUSTING the taste of gun was..." He thought out loud as an enormous explosion rocked the roof of the car.

As for Sonic and Tails, they'd finally noticed the rising water level. They were trying desperately to call on their magic power to just fly away, but with the heavy rain and winds tearing into their fur and flesh, it wasn't looking good. The two of them weren't able to go any further than a few dozen feet before they slammed into a set of trees, falling down into the rising floodwaters as Sonic desperately clung to Tails, determined not to drown.

"I can't see five feet in front of me!" Tails yelled out as a clap of thunder tore through the air, lightning splitting the sky. "It's too dangerous to fly! I'll t-t-try and-try and...climb-climb up the...AAACHOOOOO!" He sneezed raucously, as Sonic nervously looked at him, then at the water.

"It's alright, I'LL carry you!" Sonic insisted, holding onto Tails and trying to climb up the tree, panting and heaving as a dark chill began to spread through his body like an infection. He panted and heaved as he continued to try and pull himself and Tails's body up, but he felt so cold...so cold...

His gloved hands began to slip...

KRA-KROOOOOWWWW!

A lightning bolt struck his right arm, at the ring, and all Sonic knew was blackness as he and Tails plummeted into the rising flood below...

Well...the bad news was...they were dead.

The good news...they could feel God's thick, furry hands holding them up...carrying them away...

...

...

...

... "Wh-what?" Sonic muttered as he awoke to find a gentle warmth bringing him back to the land of the living, Tails's head resting against his own. "What's going on?"

"You should drink." A rough voice spoke up. Sonic had something thrust into his hands as he looked up at the sight of a roaring fire situated some distance from what was clearly a very, very advanced landing pad for a NASA-esque facility. There were enormous dark red and purple beams holding up large structures, with a shuttle situated on the launch pad gazing up at the skies.

The owner of the rough voice was a bear. He was a light beige bear with dark red eyes and a little red cap atop his head like those that Alaskans wore. He had thick brown and orange shoes and thick, boxing-esque brown gloves with a large green scarf around his neck.

"Uh...who are you?" Sonic asked as Tails began to awake from his unconscious state, shuddering because his body was soaked with water. Now he'd have to be wrung out!

"Bark."

"Uh...woof-woof?" Sonic barked nervously.

"No. My name Bark. Me Russian." The Polar Bear told them, folding it's muscular arms, frowning darkly at them.

"...uh...Me Sonic." Sonic said, pointing at himself as Tails held one hand and squeezed it, wringing the water out of it as the Polar Bear gave the strange, moving doll a "okay, that's just weird" look. "Him Tails." Sonic said, pointing at his brother. "You're really Russian?"

The bear nodded. "Yes."

"...can you say "Moose and Squirrel"?" Sonic asked with a grin. "Just once?"

"Americanski humor. Very funny." Bark mumbled, giving out a sharp whistle a moment later as Sonic and Tails found themselves surrounded by a large horde of people in stylish black outfits. There were faintly glowing blue tattoos on these outfits, and all of them appeared to be echidnas of some sort. There was even room for their dreadlocks to drape down from the back in strange "helmets" they wore, and had odd-looking buster cannons on each of their right arms.

"Good lord, they're EVERYWHERE." Tails gasped.

"Who do we have here?" A voice called out.

Sonic and Tails turned to see a female echidna in black armor hovering over to them in a floating hoverchair. Tails looked on in awe at the sight. "How are you able to get that flying?" He asked, noticing the simplistic, yet vaguely mystical structure of the chair. It too had faintly glowing blue tattoos all over it. "Is that...superconductor-electromagnetism?"

"Indeed." The woman said, nodding firmly.

"Super-whuh?" Sonic remarked.

"Superconductor-electromagnetism!" Tails told him, shaking his head. "Surely you've heard of it! It levitates bullet trains from Tokyo to Osaka."

"I'm using it to levitate my hover chair." The woman went on as she hopped down from the chair. "And it will also...levitate..."

Sonic blinked a few times.

"_ME_." She whispered, her form slowly rising up into the air, slowly circling around Sonic and Tails.

"...er..." Sonic mumbled. "...you do know you're just standing on your tippy-toes, right?" He asked.

The woman came back to the ground, "harrumphing" as she reached up, taking her helmet off to reveal a vaguely orange/red-colored echidna with lilac eyes and a black headband...with a very visible pink symbol in the center of it. She had a set of silver rings around her wrist, and a limber, smooth-looking body. "I am Shade."

"Are you Knuckles's sister?" Sonic asked.

"...you...know him?" Shade inquired. "Tell me, how is he doing?" She asked calmly.

"Well, he's as strong as ever." Tails said as he wrung out his other hand. "And he still has "The Pink" working well for him."

All of the soldiers saluted at the mention of "The Pink" as Shade nodded firmly.

"Good, good, upholding the family honor just like always." Shade said. She then whistled, as the other soldiers lowered their weapons. "Alright. Tell me. What are you two doing here...and why a doll is talking to me right now."

"...well..." Sonic sighed, turning to Tails. "Should I explain it, or should you?"

"I can handle this." Tails said. "But you should know, it's something worth being court-martialed over..."

"That's alright, ALL of us have here have done things we are not proud of here in Nocturne. My uncle Dimitri was so ashamed of me he laid down and **died**!" Shade told them.

Sonic and Tails gaped at her, then shook their heads. "Uhhhh...yeah, you go ahead." Sonic remarked.

"Well, you see...it's a long story..." Tails began.


	29. The Flames of Disaster!

_Science centers around explaining how the world works in terms that all can find common. _

_Faith is about explaining WHY the world works in terms one cannot ignore. _

_The two are rarely compatible. And Magic's foundation is found in faith. The elements of the world, the manipulation of time and space, the healing of any and all wounds, these are possible with magic, as long as you remember..._

_All magic has a price._

_Nothing...is free..._

**Episode Twenty-Eight**

**守備と攻撃災害の炎に対して**

**Defense and Offense against the Flames of Disaster!**

"One question I must know first...you are really...State Metallurgist?" Bark the Polar Bear inquired, looking down at Sonic, scratching his head as Sonic sipped on some hot cocoa with Tails, served up by a one-horned being in one of the stylish armored uniforms of the Nocturne Army. They'd all decided to head inside the main base. "What are you, **12**?"

"What are you, president of the Coca Cola bear fanclub?" Sonic sniggered.

BUDDA-BOMPF! Sonic's head was comically flattened by Bark as he held up one strong, muscular arm, grinning at Tails. "That is something I picked up from my homeland." He explained.

"Speaking of "picking up", you really ARE lucky we found you when we did, or you would have been drowned like rats in a bucket of cream." Shade the Echidna announced, entering the room, arms folded as she looked Sonic and Tails over, Sonic's head popping back into place. "But what I **want** to know is what you're doing up here anyhow. Don't think I've forgotten the fact that you're a bloody DOLL!" She told Tails.

"Nobody's going to forget, trust me." Tails mumbled.

"I doubt you're here to take in the sights, our rocket pad is very boring and we haven't sent any ships into space for ten months!"

Sonic turned to Tails. Tails looked back at Shade. "Can you, uh, excuse us for a moment?" He requested.

Shade and the others stepped back a few feet.

"Uh...a bit more?" Tails asked.

They promptly walked off screen. "How's THIS?" Shade yelled.

"Good, good." Tails called back, turning to Sonic once again. "Okay, we'd better stick to the "trying to get our original forms back" story. We don't want to give too much away or Amy could be in real trouble."

Sonic turned around to face Shade and the others. "Okay, you can come back on screen now!"

They promptly did, with Sonic holding up a hand. "But what we're about to tell you is really, really secretive. We can't let just ANYBODY know about it. It's the kind of thing you could get court-martialed AND excommunicated for!"

"Ah, don't worry about that." Shade insisted, waving her hand dismissively in the air. "All of us have secrets we're keeping." She told the two brothers, gesturing with her head at the armored captain near her and Bark the Polar Bear. "Like I said, my uncle Dimitri was so ashamed of me he laid down and **died**!"

"I am Russian dissident myself." Bark explained, taking off his cap and putting it over his heart, tears beginning to brim in his big eyes. "I can still hear the cries of the wounded and dying...as my country...burned...to ground!"

"...okaaaaaay..." Sonic remarked, scratching his head.

"Trust me, I've done things that have made the priests GASP in their confessional, so..." Shade added. "Lord knows, Irish men are pale, but after I'M done on Sundays in that little booth..."

"...uhhhhh...suddenly I don't feel so well." Tails murmured, putting down his hot cocoa.

"By the way, it's 10 gold rings for the hot cocoa." The officer added.

"WHAT? Are you kidding?" Sonic exclaimed. "It tasted like bad battery acid!"

"...how do you know what GOOD battery acid tastes like?" The officer wanted to know, giving Sonic a look with his helmeted head.

"...fine, fine." Tails dug into his pockets, pulling out twenty small gold rings and handing them to the officer. "Now then, about our little secret." He said, beginning all over again. "The whole thing all goes back to when me and my brother here were very little. Our mother was getting very, very sick. And then...one day..."

...

...

...

... "And so, that's why we headed up here, to Nocturne." Tails finished.

"...I see." Shade murmured, sitting in a chair with her other two head officers standing near. "That IS interesting. This explains your brother's appearance as well." She added. "You can put those rings back on, I don't mind." She said, nodding at them.

Tails slipped his illusionary rings back onto his body, once more turning into a normal-enough-looking two-tailed fox as Shade folded her arms. "I think I've learned enough about you now."

"So you'll help us? Thanks, we're always glad-" Sonic began happily.

"YOU TWO ARE FRIGGIN' MORONS." Shade snapped.

Sonic and Tails's face blanched, two large sweatdrops appearing on them as Shade's eyes narrowed. "Do you have ANY idea how many innocent people could have been hurt in your stupid, selfish schemes to get back your bodies, which you only lost because you were too stupid to think about the consequences? Not only that, you put your own friends in danger as well! You're reckless, immature, remarkably idiotic, and I ought to launch my foot straight up your ass!" She snapped.

Sonic and Tails lowered their heads as Shade then dusted herself off. "HOWEVER, that strange art you mentioned, that foreign thing from Soleanna. That intrigues me. So I'll tell you what. You're free to look for that raccoon you're trying to track down. But I want you to help me gain information on Yakin Shīru. We're ALWAYS looking for new advances in the art of war."

"Art of WAR?" Tails exclaimed. "But Yakin Shīru is meant for medicine, healing wounds and the like! To even THINK about using it for the purposes of warmongering is-"

Shade tossed him a glaring, baleful glare. "THAT'S the wrong answer."

"..." Tails shut back up.

"It's a technique not found in this country. I want it. ESPECIALLY considering the fact that we have to worry about the Zoan who are always seeking to spill out into Nocturne, and then into Mobius. Don't you forget that it's people like US who risk our lives every day just to make sure people like YOU can do stupid things like, say, _TRYING TO BRING YOUR DEAD MOM BACK TO LIFE!_" She snarled.

Sonic and Tails blinked a few times, looking clearly upset. Sonic's fist clenched tightly.

"You metallurgists like to say that magic has a price. But there are plenty of things you can get for **free** if you're willing to use unorthodox methods. If you ask me, you should take that saying of yours and just throw it in the corner." Shade went on.

"How the hell would YOU know, you probably couldn't conjure up a fire big enough to cook a meatball...even IF you used magic!" Sonic snapped back at her.

SWHISH!

CHING!

Shade had launched herself at Sonic, but he'd blocked her rapier with his ringed wrist and grinned at her. Shade frowned slightly, then laughed, stepping back. "Not bad, not bad! You know what...I've decided you get to stay. But on one condition." She added. "You're going to be put to work."

"Work?"

"If you don't work, then you don't eat." Shade said calmly, leaving the room with Bark.

"...now I'm starting to think back to teacher." Tails said with a sad laugh.

As Shade and Bark walked down the hallway together, Bark spoke up. "That was low of you, making that crack about their dead mother. Want to comment on their dead puppy next?"

"I know, I know. It was the wrong answer. But they seem used to scenes of carnage and low blows." Shade insisted. "But there's something else that I picked up on..." She added quietly. "...they still have a secret they can't tell us."

Meanwhile, not very far away...

"What sort of work are you going to make us do?" Sonic wanted to know, trailing behind the armored captain.

The man was silent. He didn't say a word.

"Something's "off" with you." Sonic said. "I think I can hear metal joints creaking every time you walk, and that "horn" atop your head's not natural. I don't think you're a rhino, you'd be a WHOLE lot bigger. So what are you?"

"...alright." The man said, sighing as snapped his fingers. Instantly, he transformed into a robotic being with light blue eyes and, sure enough, an orangeish horn atop his head. He had brown hands, a mechanical body, and "boot"-like feet, with a tan/brown form. Turning around, he calmly opened up his chest compartment...revealing a life ring.

"A Shanazaran." Tails gasped.

"My name is Emerl. I'm a Gizoid. My specialty is in adapting to my surroundings and in growing stronger and stronger. I only survived what occurred in Shanazar because I'd disguised myself as an officer here in Nocturne, where I heard the strongest warriors made their home, defending Mobius from bloodthirsty Zoan." He explained. "I had PLANNED on coming back home and teaching my people all the new techniques I'd learned, only to hear that my home had been blown to shreds..."

He glared slightly at Sonic and Tails. "By people like you." He said. "Mobian."

"A Shanazaran killed the mother and father of our best friend and he also tries to kill us on regular basis." Sonic snapped right back.

Emerl was quiet for a few moments. Then his attitude changed, becoming positively pleasant. "Yes, I was hoping for that kind of reaction." He admitted. "I mean, REALLY. All I get is "Oh, I'm soooo sorry" from everyone I talk to about where I come from. I wanted to hear something new." He told them.

"You were WAITING for a snappy comeback?" Tails asked.

"Yes. I've gotten fed up with pity for my kind."

"Well, Shanazarans have tried to kill me, kidnap me, and befriend me as well. I think I've got a better relationship with your people than most of my kind." Sonic said with a shrug. "Just how I rooooollll."

"I like you." Emerl said, nodding firmly. "I appreciate you talking to me as an equal." He said, leading them into the next room. "You're just like Shade. I was here when the Campaign started...and she spoke to me about what was going on over in Shanazar. You can imagine I was..." Emerl hesitated. "...not...calm...about what they were doing."

"Did you snap at her for being a "dog of the military" or something?" Tails wanted to know.

"Oh, I was tempted to punch her headbanded head off." Emerl admitted. "I felt that she only wanted me around to parade me like a prize for a little while. But then she had a talk with me. She told me that it didn't matter where I came from. It didn't matter what I'd done. This was a land that was about the utter defense of Mobius. There's no room for something as "stupid" she said, as "discrimination". There exists no word such as "race" here in Nocturne. We are all soldiers who must follow their leader in the defense of the people."

"Wow, that was...really inspiring." Tails admitted.

"And then I asked her "What if the blood within me boils and I HAVE to strike out at you, who represents the military that slaughtered my people"." Emerl added. "Do you know what she said?"

"Let me guess. She challenged you to a fight?" Sonic asked.

"No, she beat the SHIT out of me and told me if I ever wanted to fight again OVER "something so retarded", the next time, she'd break my legs." Emerl said nervously.

**SFX: Jaws Theme**

Sonic and Tails pictured a horribly laughing, snarling Shade giving a beat-down to Emerl as he sobbed "Uncle-Uncle" over and over and shuddered on the spot.

Finally, they'd reached an enormous overlook that was stationed by the rocket pad. "This place is all about power. Those who don't have power won't survive in this world, and they must use their power for only the best of reasons." Emerl explained. "Everyone here has unique talents, unique powers. Be you black, white, man, woman, or something in between, it doesn't matter. If you've got anything to give you an edge, you'd best put it to use here. Do that, and you'll do just fine."

CHA-THOOMK!

A large glob of SOMETHING fell off the top of the rocket and almost hit Sonic and Tails, who looked up, seeing a part of the rocket's hull had actually fallen clear off. Another inch further...

"I see you have the edge of "good luck" going for you." Emerl said cheerily. "See? You're already getting the hang of it!" He pointed up at the rocket. "That's your job. You'll be helping Mr. Heavy with fixing the hull on this rocket. Because we're at the highest point in all of Mobius, the cold air tends to screw around with our technology and resources. Fix it."

Heavy waved down at them. "Heyyyy!" He called out.

"Well, this shouldn't take too long." Sonic said, shrugging as he slowly rose up in the air, his body turning a golden/yellow sheen. "Watch...and be...AMAZED, Emerl. You want power?"

He clenched his fist, his eyes flashing red. **"I'll show you my power!"**

...

...

...

... "You were awfully late." The white wolf muttered, folding his arms as his team leaned back against the wall. "We had to kidnap her without you. What was the holdup?"

"Well, I ran into this nice guy..."

"He ran into Shadow the Hedgehog. That famous Colonel, the **Burning Metallurgist**. He's trying to learn how to manipulate the element of Chaos from the woman we've just captured!" The brown-furred, jacket-wearing dog explained calmly. "I was trailing him the whole time!"

"You ain't "caught" me yet!" Tikal growled as she struggled with the enormous ape that was trying to pin her down. A quick pipe to the back of the head, though, shut her up once more.

"That won't keep her down long, she keeps waking up. Don't we have any money for some sedatives?" A lynx mumbled.

"Drago SPENT it all on "personal things"." The ape muttered. "In other words, porn."

"Shut iiiiit!" The white wolf snarled as the ape lifted the unconscious Tikal onto his shoulder. "Our orders are to make sure that nobody interferes with us delivering Tikal Nuahatl to Grand Designer Void. Our commanding officer under Void will deal with Shadow."

"But why hasn't he shown himself? We've been in town all day. He should have made his presence known." The hawk remarked.

"Oh don't worry, he'll show." Iblis insisted calmly. "...they'll see. They will ALL see...just how powerful he truly is..."

Meanwhile, Shadow the Hedgehog was sitting with Pahachamac, Tikal's father, outside of her home. The two were munching away on some apples as Shadow tried to use one hand to spark some chaos.

"HMMM!" Shadow grunted, a momentary spark of reddish/orange light appearing above his snapped fingers before fading. He grunted again...another spark. But still, nothing beyond that. "I'm still so far away from learning what I need." He said softly. "I need to practice harder."

"It's good that you wish to better yourself and don't blame others for your own failures. That trait is becoming uncommon." Pahachamac insisted. "I think you've got the potential to be an excellent student. Unlike that moron, Rad."

THUDDA-BOOOOOOOM!

"Uh...everything's alright! Really!" Rad shouted from inside the house as the smoke alarm went off.

"...I'll get this." Tikal's long-suffering father moaned, entering the room as Shadow noticed something burning off in the distance...

Something big...and bright...

A fire? In the city?

He quickly ran off in its direction, rushing as fast as he could, rushing through the alleys as people ran from the burning region of the city in fear.

But when he got there, he didn't find fires...so much as an enormous, immense monster. It seemed to be made of pulsing magma, with a strong, powerful-looking body that had spikes jutting out from it's shoulders, and going up and down it's legs. There was a long tail that swept back and forth slightly, with ram's horns curling down by the side of it's lava-filled mouth, with three tiny green eyes that had slit black pupils.

It looked down at Shadow, eyes focusing in on him intently. And then it spoke in a guttural, growling tone.

"Shadow the Hedgehog...surrender now...or Tikal Nuahatl will die."

"What?" Shadow gasped.

"Take a look." It said, opening up it's mouth to reveal Tikal's paralyzed form trapped in a large cage of crystal. She was, frankly, lucky that his body temperature hadn't fried her! Or that he hadn't SWALLOWED.

"You...what the hell are you?" Shadow growled.

"You really don't got any choice. You don't dare attack me...you don't even dare defend yourself from me. Do that...and she could get hurt. Nobody wants THAT, now do they? Heh-heh-heh." The enormous beast sniggered.

"You COWARD, hiding behind a hostage!" Shadow snarled.

"Heh. How little you know me." The beast said softly. "I'm hardly above killing you too if you misbehave...I s'pose a lesson's in order. Spare the rod and you spoil the child..."

...

...

...

..."This is Research and Development." Heavy explained, gesturing below at an enormous control room filled to the brim with technologically-advanced rockets. There were several dozen armored suits similar to the ones that most of the Nocturne soldiers wore, and one man was testing out what appeared to be some kind of crab-claw-shaped gauntlet. He aimted it at a target and an enormous, pulsing laser blast was launched out, blowing his target into pieces.

"Oooooh." Tails exclaimed. "This is so coooooool! I've GOTTA get a closer look!" Tails said, quickly bounding over the railing, immediately "geeking out" and speaking with every single scientist in the R&D department. "This is amazing!"

"He's like a kid at Christmas." Heavy laughed as Tails held up a small pen, pressing a button on the end, making a large cloud of acidic dust shoot out the tip at a target. "This is the second lowest level of Nocturne's base. The entire place was actually built over the remains of what was probably an abandoned space station."

"Abandoned space station?" Sonic asked, looking confused.

"Oh yes, they had one wing of the station built, it's become the foundation of Nocturne. But they never built the rest of it, apparently. Nothing else is here." Heavy added as Tails flew back up to Sonic and Heavy, showing off a snazzy-looking new belt. He pressed a button on the belt and a small boxing glove shot out, smacking Heavy in the gut.

"Let's...move...on..." Heavy gasped out.

They continued down the hallway, finally reaching what the robot had been discussing. There, poking up from the ground, was a doorway attached to a hallway that no doubt led into a wing of a space station. There were strange hieroglyphs upon the doorway, and people were milling about, doing work on power tubes.

"This is the lowest level. Those tubes are the fort's lifelines, you could say. It's nice and warm down here AND it's got a dozen or so generators." Heavy said as Tails examined the hieroglyphs on the doorway.

"How very intriguing! Wow, this is really-" Suddenly he stiffened up. "...do you...hear that?" He asked Sonic.

Sonic blinked, scratching his head.

"Over here." Tails said, motioning for him to come over to the pipe. Sonic walked over, putting his ear to the doorway that Tails was listening at.

"...somebody's walking through." Sonic gasped out.

Everyone in the room immediately whipped their head in the direction of the door, people's helmets coming off as they too heard the unmistakable sound of footsteps tap-tap-tapping. A moment later...it burst out from the doorway.

"AH-HA-HA-HA-HA! Oh, how ironic fate can be." The being before them laughed in a faint, echoey tone. It was a crystalline hedgehog with a bright red pair of eyes and a reptilian green pupil in each one. He had no real "feet" save for crystal-like stubs, and even his quills ended in strange, glowing, purple/blue crystals. His hands were clawed nails, and most disturbing of all was his lack of a nose and mouth.

His eyes. As Sonic and Tails looked at his eyes, they saw the sclera were made up of a steady, tiny string of ones and zeroes. He was a Golem!

"What the heck?" Sonic exclaimed.

"What the HECK!" Shade exclaimed to Bark and Emerl. "Bean the Dynamite? Why should we let him come here? His own FAMILY disowned him! At least I still visit my aunt's grave every year!"

"He was seriously wounded on what was described as a train accident. At least, that's the official story. The unofficial story, as told to me by a conductor, was that a robot with the symbol "Omega" on it's shoulders force fed him his fist several times over after catching him off-guard." Emerl said with a hint of pride in his countryman.

"Such a tragedy." Shade remarked, sniggering. "How'd he even get out of prison? He's supposed to-"

"He was released on our glorious leader's orders and our local hospital is requesting help from us." Emerl insisted.

"Request is not something I am particularly proud to take, but we had best take it all of same." Bark said calmly.

BREEEEEEEE! BREEEEEEEEE!

"What the?" Shade shot up from her desk as a guard burst into her room. "What's going on? Is there an intruder in the base?"

"Somebody came in from the space station entrance!"

"The WHAT?"

"Could they have already found out that we're planning on striking back at them?" Tails thought to himself.

"I must say, I expected somebody a little more...more." The being before them said, looking Sonic and Tails over. "Ah well, I came to perform a certain action and it's quite done. No need to linger here anymore."

"You...didn't come...to spy on us?" Tails asked.

"Spy on YOU? Why would I waste my time with you?" The being snapped. "Mephiles the Dark has better things to do with his time than speak with an overgrown plushie and his blowharded brother." He told them. "Now, I feel like taking the scenic route out of here. Just point me in the direction of the exit and I promise I'll only injure the bare minimum." Mephiles said calmly.

"You...don't know about us?" Sonic asked. This WAS odd. "You mean that Void didn't talk to you?"

"You know Void?" Mephiles gave Sonic a look. "Well. That IS interesting." The strange being mused, rubbing his chin.

"How are you able to talk without a mouth?" Sonic remarked.

"It's magic. I don't have to explain it." Mephiles said nonchalantly. "Now if you'll excuse me, I've got places to go, things to do. The work of a zealot is never done. So much to do, so little time..." Mephiles said, looking around the room. "So much to do, so little time, so much to do so little time..." He sang out, waving his hands in the air. Because, you know, nothing says "evil" like Jazz Hands.

"...this guy's not exactly "all there" is he?" Sonic whispered to Tails.

"FISH FILLET?" Mephiles snarled, grabbing a "McDonalds" bag out of a lieutenant's hand. "IT IS THE **DEVIL'S WORK!**:" He snarled, shaking the man over and over. "THE POWER OF CHRIST COMPELS YOU! THE POWER OF CHRIST COMPELS YOU!"

"...no. No, he's not." Tails whispered back.

"How in Hell are you knowing strange crystal shaking thing?" Bark snapped, waving his fist in the air as he stood in a nearby doorway, ready to flatten BOTH their heads this time. "Are you **spies**?"

"We're not spies!" Sonic insisted. "And we don't know him-oh CRAP!" Sonic exclaimed, noticing that Mephiles was taking the elevator up to the development level. "Hey, wait! Get back here!"

Soon the entire base was on alert, people rushing into the development level, arming themselves and readying for the oncoming strange hedgehog to come into the room. It wasn't long before he found himself there, looking at a large blockade of men who were pointing various odd weapons at him. "...are you trying to pick a fight with one of the most powerful beings on the planet?" Mephiles asked, looking clearly amused.

"Yes." Shade said, suddenly pointing a bazooka at his head, appearing from behind him. "Make one move and you'll find yourself missing a head."

"...heh." Mephiles whipped around, his foot slamming into Shade. "Know your PLACE." He snapped, grabbing ahold of the bazooka, a clear sneer on his mouthless-face breaking the thing over his leg as he walked towards Shade.

Shade held up a pistol a moment later, aimed right at his head, but he snatched it out of her hand, examining it. "Colt 45. Semiautomatic." He promptly crushed it in one hand. **"PLAY-DOH."**

"All noncombatants, withdraw immediately!" Shade yelled out as people ran for their lives. "I'll deal with this. EMERL!"

"Hello, uggo." Emerl said, suddenly appearing a moment later, a golden glow surrounding him as Mephiles turned his head...

Too late. A harsh, powerful punch knocked him back through the air, his head exploding into a fine shower of crystalline dust. Shade stood up, dusting herself off as the others in the room cheered, jumping up and down. "We might not have a woodshed here, but somebody was due for a whuppin'." Shade said calmly.

Unfortunately, the cheering stopped abruptly as the body slowly rose back up, tiny crystals slowly merging together from the neck and rising higher and higher...gradually reforming the head of Mephiles the Dark.

"I'm impressed." Shade admitted. "I thought that would have killed you."

"You're all annoying me." Mephiles snarled, holding up his hand, a swirling, greenish energy spike beginning to form. "Okay, you foolish little woman, it's your turn. And when you die...**your men will hope no more**." He laughed coldly, tossing the spike straight at Shade...

THA-WOOOOOSH!

A burst of lightning made it explode in midair as Sonic lowered his fist, grinning as he and Tails stood defiantly atop several large crates. "Not so fast." He announced.

Shade looked them over. "I imagine you know a few things about that disturbingly resilient beast?"

"Normal firearms won't work on that thing. No matter how many times you try to kill him he won't die!" Sonic insisted.

"This time I want you to be HONEST with me!" Shade snapped at him. "What is that thing? What's it doing here? Who is it working for? Does it know you?"

"I can't tell you, I can't tell you, I can't tell you, and probably not!" Sonic said.

"Why CAN'T you tell me?"

"We can't say THAT either!" Tails shouted.

"Take a GUESS." Sonic muttered.

"...are you on our side?" Shade asked.

"Yes." Sonic and Tails answered.

"You might be a bitch, but I don't want to see you or anybody else here die because of that thing." Sonic said calmly.

"...that...was the right answer." Shade said softly. "Can you stop it?"

Sonic clenched his fist, slamming it into his palm as he and Tails faced it down. "Can, nothing. We WILL."

"You may TRY." Mephiles laughed.


	30. An Unusual Hostage Crisis

_Science centers around explaining how the world works in terms that all can find common. _

_Faith is about explaining WHY the world works in terms one cannot ignore. _

_The two are rarely compatible. And Magic's foundation is found in faith. The elements of the world, the manipulation of time and space, the healing of any and all wounds, these are possible with magic, as long as you remember..._

_All magic has a price._

_Nothing...is free..._

**Episode Twenty-Nine**

**異常な人質事****件**

**An Unusual Hostage Crisis!**

"You sure are persistent." Mephiles remarked as he slunk backwards, holding up a glowing hand as strange ooze pulsed off his palm, sloughing across the ground and forming into replicas of his own body, the evil, demonic hedgehog standing far away as they moved towards Tails and Sonic. "I give you points for courage, but not much else. Do you really think a few sparks will stop me?"

"Well, how about a LOT of sparks?" Sonic roared out, jumping into the air, soaring at Mephiles as Tails whipped his tails around in the air, rings glowing as a roaring miniature tornado shot out at the clones, sending them spiraling around into the roof. Sonic held up a fist and launched an enormous burst of lightning towards Mephiles, who quickly jumped to the side.

"Poor fool. You're even stupider than your friends think you are." Mephiles said. "I don't understand why you're doing this. It's my duty as a zealot to fulfill my purpose."

"...isn't that circular thinking?"Tails inquired.

"SHUT UP!" Mephiles roared, holding up his hand, a swirling, greenish energy spike beginning to form. He launched it at Tails, who quickly dove away in time. "You're so...GOD! I attempt to **purify**, and you-you..."

"Look, Shade might be annoying, but like I said, I'm not letting you kill her. Her job is to protect the innocents within Mobius's borders." Sonic told Mephiles as he raced along the ground, tossing blasts of wind energy at Mephiles, who jumped over each one.

"Bah! INFIDEL!" Mephiles snapped. "You are festering the atrocities of this world!" The crystalline hedgehog snarled, jumping up into the air, clawed fist held high. "I AM IT'S SAVIOR!"

THUDDA-BLAAAAAAAM!

A rocket to his temple knocked him through the air and into the wall as Shade lowered her bazooka, smirking. "Does he EVER shut up?"

Mephiles yanked himself from the wall, moaning, holding onto his head and staggering around. "Yes, mommy, time for beddy-byes..." He mumbled, staggering through a doorway as Tails knelt by the floor he'd fallen off onto...picking up some crystal shards that had been knocked out from his body.

"Hmm. I've got an idea." Tails said, a glint of keen intelligence rising in his eyes. "A crystalline solid...prism-shaped... twinned...faintly blue color...it appears to be a kind of unusually hard quartz...let's MELT him."

"Melt him?" Shade inquired.

"Yeah, he seems to be living crystal. We'll melt him down and turn him into something we can stick in a bottle. Then he won't be able to keep running away." Sonic said, slamming his fist into his palm. "The old "Genie Stuck in a Bottle" trick! What's the melting point for quartz?"

"1670 degrees Celsius if it's a tridymite, 1713 degrees if it's a cristobalite. Do you have a furnace in here?" Tails asked Shade.

"But we've got to get him to stand STILL, first!" Shade told Tails, frowning slightly. "That coward keeps running all over...wait." She blinked. "Did you say...a furnace? ...yes...we DO have a furnace. We use it to spread heat through our entire base and to melt down materials."

"How hot does it get to be?" Tails asked.

"2000 degrees Celsius." Shade informed him.

"Well, there's no kill like "overkill"." Sonic commented. "I think I know how we can get him into that furnace. Where's the thing located?"

"Second floor, Wing "A"..."

...

...

...

...It wasn't long before Mephiles was walking around the first floor, turning his head left and right. "Gah, I'm suffocating...EVERYONE is suffocating. We cannot breathe. But Void will set us all free once-"

"Hey!" Sonic's voice rang out through the air and Mephiles whipped around to see Tails and Sonic standing, Sonic hovering in the air, a golden shine to his body as Tails also hovered in the air, fists clenched, wind energy swirling around him. "Who's up for Round Two?"

"I'd love to take care of you right now, but I've more important things to do." Mephiles snapped, rushing away up the nearby stairs.

"Ohhh, no! Don't you pull that "I'll get you NEXT TIME, rangers" junk on US!" Sonic yelled out, racing after him with Tails right behind. Soon they were following Mephiles through the second floor as he searched for a room to escape into. Most of them appeared to be completely boarded up, save for some at the far end.

"Get BACK!" Mephiles snarled, holding up another hand, launching another green spike of energy at the two, forcing them to move back as he rushed for a door, trying to yank it open. LOCKED. He tried the next one...LOCKED.

He moved past a sign that read "Wing A" and tried a door with an odd yellow sign...yes! Unlocked! He raced inside, locking the door behind him. He turned, approaching the wall, looking up with a grin. A vent shaft grating was right above him. He'd go in through the vent system running through this base, and they'd be unable to-

Suddenly he was aware of how...HOT...everything was. The temperature was rising higher and higher...what the hell was going on?

He turned around, noticing that the door he'd gone in through now had an enormous metallic shield covering it...in fact, the entire room was now being coated in the same metallic shield. He desperately banged on the door, trying to get out, but the heat was making him dizzy, and he stumbled around, panting and heaving. What was going-

He suddenly stiffened. The odd yellow sign. Suddenly he remembered what it had read...

"CAUTION: FURNACE ROOM."

"**NOOOOOOOOOOO!"** He screamed, holding up his palm, trying to create another energy spike...only to find that his palms were slowly melting into a disgusting blackish ooze. He howled and howled, trying to throw his weight at the door in a desperate, dazed attempt to get out, but his feet and legs began to melt away, his body dissolving into the ooze as he let out a horrifying scream that was slowly squelched as his chin dissolved away...

...

...

...

...Meanwhile, Emerl had put on his disguise and was headed to the hospital where Bean the Dynamite had been hospitalized. That...man...had slaughtered more Shanazaran citizens than anybody else in the military...with the possible exception of Dr. Eggman, who had authorized the entire operation.

Soon he was sitting by Bean's bed, the green-feathered duck hooked up to an IV tube, a blanket covering his body as Emerl looked over the report that had been filed. "So...no sign of Omega's body, nor that of **Fang the Sniper**, the metallurgist whom you also saw with him?"

"No, I suppose he's off hiding somewhere."

"Well, you just rest up, and WE'LL handle Omega." Emerl said, standing up, glad to exit the room and be rid of this disgusting individual.

"Oh no ya don't." Bean mumbled, trying to stand up in bed, only to flop back down. He coughed and heaved, trying to get his bearings as a fire roared in his limbs. "Y-you're talking about doing MY job for me, that's...I can do this myself, just-just have your men guard the base...it's MY job to do, Shanazarans are **my** target."

"...well. If that's the case..." Emerl whispered dangerously. He concentrated, snapping his fingers, and the illusion quickly fell away as he whipped around, hand grasping onto the IV tube. "Up here, we believe in "Survival of the Fittest". Which means we're not so STUPID that we'd let a mass-murder roam free. So here's what's going to happen. You stay here...giving us what we need, peace of mind...and I'll make sure you keep getting...what YOU need." Emerl said coldly, gripping the IV tightly, making Bean quiver slightly, the blood draining from his face.

The duck finally nodded slowly, nervously, and Emerl, if he could have, would have sneered as he turned around, snapping his fingers and putting his disguise back up, leaving the room. Bean blinked a few times, then sighed slightly. "Ahhh. Shanazarans everywhere. Life sure is funny that way."

KNOCK-KNOCK. He turned his head, noticing a familiar face was in the doorway. It was General Speedy Kukku, looking awfully cheerful. "I sped all the way up here after I'd heard you'd been injured. Anything for family."

"Such a shame Nack's sided with Omega...I had such respect for that old idiot's marksmanship skills." Bean admitted. "This is why you're my favorite cousin. But you don't need to worry..." Bean held up the two Chaos Emeralds he had been keeping hidden under his pillow. "I've kept these niiiice and safe."

"Well, then all we need to do is worry about getting you healed up."

"I doubt I'll be walking anytime soon, much less explodin' things." Bean said sadly.

"Oh, don't worry!" A voice rang out as a white-haired echidna walked into the room, adjusting the small, golden glasses he had on the bridge of his nose. "You can rest easy, my body. After all...I'm a doctor. And with the Chaos Emeralds here, healing you up shall be a piece of cake..."

Elsewhere, Shade had deposited the melted, black ooze into a very strong jar that was being held like a trophy on her desk as she folded her arms, frowning at the doorway Mephiles had come from. "To think that we'd be directly attacked right in the heart of our base...we'll have to draw up a whole new defense policy. This has never happened before on my watch. NOBODY'S ever snuck up on us from out of nowhere...at leas,t not until YOU TWO came around!" She told Sonic and Tails.

"Has it ever happened before you came here, though?" Sonic asked.

"Oh yes. There was a case of our security forces being trapped in the snow during one cold winter...a mysterious woman showed up. This female echidna took care of our men in exchange for sharing their food and provisions. She even helped them hunt until the harsh weather finally died down, but then she vanished..."

_"...it couldn't be...could it?"_ Sonic wondered, thinking back to his teacher, Tikal. She had SAID she'd spent a harsh winter up in the North, managing to survive in the harshest of conditions...

"Anyhow, let's head inside this thing. Nobody's ever gone inside of it before because Central told us to just leave it alone. But it bit at us...and now I'm biting back." Shade muttered as Bark the Polar Bear opened up the doorway that Mephiles had come through, with him, Heavy, Shade, Sonic and Tails walking down the dark hallway it was connected to.

Just as on the outside, there were strange hieroglyphs, lining up and down the roof and floor, with a series of pipes running through the hallway, seeming to end at the doorway, shooting deep through the floor and into the ground. There wasn't any light in the immense hall, so Sonic snapped his fingers, his ringed wrists glittering as a small fireball formed above their heads.

"How deep does this thing GO, do you think?" Tails murmured.

"What a weird-ass space station." Sonic thought out loud as they continued to move through it.

"Hold it." Shade raised a hand in the air. Bark folded his arms, cutting Sonic and Tails off from leaving as Heavy whipped his body around, looking first at her, then Bark, Sonic and Tails glancing at each other. "Now that we're alone...I want you to tell me **everything**." She said darkly. "When I asked about that monster, you said you couldn't tell me how you knew about him. And when I asked why, you said 'take a guess'."

Sonic and Tails nodded.

"The look you had in your eyes. You were asking for total trust...total trust from a stranger in dealing with an even stranger threat. I know enough of military matters to know what kind of situation calls for actions like that. Somebody you care about has been taken hostage, and THAT is why you can't tell us anything." Shade said.

"...yes." Sonic spoke softly. "Our childhood friend."

"We were "sticking our nose where it didn't belong", we "didn't think about the consequences" and our dear friend could be hurt as a result." Tails said.

Shade's eyes narrowed as her lip became a taut line. "...alright...tell me everything."

...

...

...

... "Golems...Dr. Eggman...a man named "Void"...corruption at the very tip-top of our military forces..." Shade frowned darkly, a furious expression glittering in her eyes.

"And taking so many hostages. Your friend..." Bark said sympathetically, nodding at Sonic and Tails, then turning to Heavy. "Your comrades Vector, Bomb, Rouge, even Ray...is most dishonorable."

"And poor Shadow." Heavy said sadly.

"Ah, he's worthless to me." Shade said nonchalantly.

"Cold as **ice**." Sonic thought to himself, gulping visibly.

"A dishonorable technique, but an effective one." Shade admitted grudgingly. "I'd call this plan diabolically insane. I'd want to shake Void's hand for coming up with all of this...then cut his head off afterwards. But tell me something...do you think this Space Station wing had anything to do with what Void has planned?"

"Hmm." Tails approached the pipes in the wings of the space station, tapping against them. "...only slightly hollow...something is inside. But first...a map. Does anybody have a map of Mobius?"

Heavy opened up the top of his "head", and pulled out a map, putting it down on the ground for them to see, holding down the corners with small "Hershey Kisses". Why he had THOSE in there when he has no mouth, we will never know.

"If I'm right about this, then this is part of a circle that encompasses the entire country." Tails said, frowning darkly.

"Eh?" Bark inquired, head tilted to the side.

"A ring...rings are the primary tool by which most metallurgists grab ahold of magic." Sonic said, holding up his wrists. "It's how we control magic..."

Suddenly he understood what Tails was getting at. "Heavy...you've been in the military for a long time. Can you think of any major conflicts that Mobius was in which involved a lot of bloodshed?"

Heavy would have frowned if he had a face, but he seemed to get what Sonic was getting at. "Yes...yes, in July of 1558, there was an attack on the small nation of Christmas Island off the west coast. There was a riot at Casino Nights, that was ten years later. In 1600, there was the incident at Forest Hills, and then in 1650, Genocide City got the name it's known for today with THAT horrid..."

"I think I see what you're getting at." Bark said softly. "There was a border conflict to the south in 1756, that's how we got control of South Island and Mystic Ruins. There's also been a lot of fighting to the Southwest at the Badlands, those started in 1824, and in 1935 instead of focusing on the crippling depression we were going through..."

"Dr. Eggman had Echidnpolis annexed. Very forcibly." Shade finished.

"There was a "terrorist attack" supposedly upon the Dragon Kingdom in the West so we moved in to "help" and ended up taking over, and then there was the incident at Knothole just a few months back..." Heavy added.

"WHAT?" Sonic gasped. "But we exposed that faker, Snivelly!" He said angrily. "What the hell happened?"

"Well, originally the local police were doing fine handling people's rioting and the like, but Central pulled rank over them and took over operations...or rather, more like "said" they were going to take over and didn't do a damn thing. I'm dead certain they never showed up." Heavy said venomously.

"Damn it, damn it..." Sonic mumbled as he began to connect all of the dots. "If this is true, then...then..."

He connected the last dot. All of their eyes widened, save for Heavy, who gasped in horror.

There was a very, very large circle drawn around all of Mobius. Like a great...big...moat.

Tails approached the pipe system in the walls, holding up his fist as his ring glittered, a metallic sheen coating it. He punched it open.

FSSSHHHHHH-SLOOOOP. Blood poured down and onto the ground, drizzling out in a disgusting red torrent like something from a horror movie.

"The same sort of blood ring that's used to make chaos emeralds from the souls of innocent people..." Bark gasped.

"That's absolutely..." Heavy stuttered. "D-don't they, don't they know how many will be killed by something of this size?"

"Wait...something isn't quite right." Sonic murmured.

Meanwhile, Big the Cat, covered in a hooded robe, was sitting by dear Marine the Racoon and her pet koala as they took up shelter in a shack quite some distance from the base our heroic duo were in. Big had been...well...he'd undergone some very radical surgery.

His fur had been turned a dark shade of brownish/purple with his muzzle mostly intact, though now his ears were clipped and much shorter, his nose also altered to be quite larger. He looked rather...depressed. And why wouldn't he be? He'd lost a shocking amount of weight and was almost as skinny as a rail, with his tail horribly skinned down to almost the bone, now little more than a skinny little broom handle. He looked thirty years older and like a decrepit, badly-painted Pink Panther.

Poor, poor Big.

"That big jerk Metal..." Big mumbled as he sat near Marine, who patted him comfortingly on the back. "I remember what I told him. "I said he and his friends had been a-carving out an enormous ring out of Mobius...that Void wanted to make a BIIIG chaos emerald." Big shook his head, sighing. "He said I was "CLOSE"."

"Close?" Marine inquired.

"I had told Sonic and Tails they'd be able the truth...to find ALL of the truths if they were good n' smart and all. One truth is that Chaos Emeralds are made from people."

Marine nodded. She was disgusted with this knowledge. She didn't want to hurt innocent people to gain an "edge" over that darn snake...

"Another truth is the construction of that big ol' ring that's circling our country, but..." Big bit his lip. "I can't help feelin' that I'm...that I'm MISSIN' something." He admitted.

"There's something else?" Marine inquired.

"Yeah, but I think you and your fancy "Yakin Shīru" can help!" Big laughed happily.

"There's something else?" Heavy inquired.

"Yeah...for starters, us being called "precious resources"..."

"Wait. The attack on Christmas Island came right after the country was formed. It was a pacifistic nation...we didn't even declare war!" Tails said, eyes widening.

"Yes, ALL of the events, they can be connected back to the military! Coup d'tats, civil wars, "campaigns for the good of this country"..." Heavy growled.

"This is disgusting. There's only one conclusion to be drawn. These monsters are not using this country to carry out their plan...they created Mobius from the start for the sake of this plan! They've been using us like...like PUPPETS!" Shade snarled angrily, slamming her fist into the wall, making the hallway ring.

"Vile men! Military culture destroyed my beautiful homeland...now they are seeking to do same here?" Bark hissed.

"Wait...**MIGHTY**." Sonic whispered. "This...this is why he was killed, wasn't it?" He murmured. "He had knowledge of the military, access to all these records...he'd been at the library, looking up files shortly before he was killed..."

"And he knew about Metallurgy too. He must have figured it out quickly." Tails admitted softly. "...though not as quickly as Gamma must have."

"Wh-what? That robot?" Sonic asked.

"Remember what he said?" Tails said quietly.

_"Sonic!" Gamma spoke up firmly as the area around them began to become frosted over with ice and snow. "You took up the mantle of being a "Military Grunt", you who became a State Metallurgist at such a young age. Little one, don't you understand the horror that you serve?" He asked angrily, and Sonic could see pain and hurt behind those lenses, a deep sorrow and horrible rage that needed to be expressed._

_"...what are you talking about?" Sonic asked quietly, head lowered, voice becoming almost a whisper._

_"Don't you know what this country is trying to do?"_

_"Who cares?"_

_"YOU should! If you did, you'd support what I'm trying to do!" Gamma growled._

"Nina must have learned about Void's plans as well. That's why she was trying to destroy Central." Tails told Sonic.

"It doesn't excuse her putting innocents at risk, but..." Sonic frowned. "...I should have tried to find out what she meant. Instead I just YELLED at her..."

"Wait. Look. I don't think their work is finished. There's one place on this map where there hasn't been bloodshed of a great amount...one place that would really connect nicely in the circle. HERE...at **NOCTURNE**!" Shade growled angrily, pointing at the map.

"They are going to using us up and throwing away..." Bark growled.

"MADAM! MADAM!" '

They turned their heads down the hallway to see a worker from the fort was rushing over to them. "A call from the hospital, General Speedy Kukku of the 16th Division is coming up to Nocturne within the hour!"

"What? Damn...why's he comin' here so soon?" Shade murmured, shaking her head.

"Shade. Listen. You've got a lot of courage, and I really like that." Sonic said. "I think we can be friends." Sonic told her.

"...you have a look in your eyes that says you've got a plan." Shade said. "I've seen that look reflected in my own. Alright. I'll bite. What's the game plan, "coach"?"

"Oh, it's simple enough..." Sonic commented.

MEANWHILE...

Shadow raced along the streets, running as fast as he could as he charged towards the beast made of lava, the wind roaring in his ears, his quills vibrating with each step. The large monstrosity held up an enormous fist, trying to slam it down onto Shadow and turn him into a pulpy mess.

It missed. Badly. And it's miss cost the beast, for Shadow promptly leapt through the air with a cry, his ringed wrists sparkling as he focused what little power he had over chaos magic. Racing along the enormous arm, he launched himself up it, running across the shoulder. The giant beast tried to reach for him, but he was far, far quicker, and he leapt up through the air, fist held high, covered in chaos energy.

With a THUDDA-POW he slammed the fist into the enormous thing's forehead, knocking him back, the thing howling in pain as Shadow grinned, landing expertly back upon the ground, whipping around and snapping his fingers, a burst of chaos energy striking at the thing's foot, at it's ankle.

He missed the first time. But the second time he didn't, and the thing, still trying to get back to his feet, toppled over onto the ground with an enormous thud that made the whole city seem to shake. Shadow held up his fist again, rushing forth to slam into the thing's forehead again-

But then the thing began MELTING, turning into magma that was seeping down into the ground. Shadow gasped, reeling back slightly in surprise as the ground began to shake over and over, an enormous chasm slowly ripping itself open beneath him, and before he could get free, he found himself tumbling down into the darkness...tumbling down into blackness...

He soon found his body surrounded by an enormous clawed hand of magma. That thing had caught him! This was it...this was the end. He...

Was...being...lifted up and out of the chasm?

He was deposited down onto the street by the clawed hand composed of magma as the enormous beast's head reformed, looking down at him with it's small but powerful green eyes. "Shadow the Hedgehog...**Burning Metallurgist**...I'm returning the favor." He said. "I haven't lived a happy life, but you showed me kindness...and for that, I thank you." The thing told him in a voice that seemed uncharacteristically soft.

Shadow blinked in surprise as the head slowly dissolved away into lava once again, the hand retreating with the head into the dark recesses of the Earth. He scratched his head, seeing Tikal deposited nearby on the ground, looking at him, also confused.

Returning the favor?...what had that thing meant? What had it been talking about?

Then Shadow thought back. Could it be that-

"_Gerroff me!" The lizard growled._

"_Gimme that bread! I can tell from the smell alone it's WONDERFUL, I must have it!"_

"_Hey, that's enough!" Shadow called out, approaching him, frowning darkly at him. He tossed Rad off of Ibilis and helped him up. "You get out of here or I'll throw you halfway across the city."_

_Rad muttered angrily under his breath about how they'd suffer his "rad-venge" and took off as Shadow held up a six pack of Cherry Coke. "Want some?" He asked._

_Ibilis blinked a few times, then extended his bag of bread, grinning. "Take some!" He insisted._

_Soon the two were sitting down, munching away on the bread. "I hope you don't think I'm intruding on your lunch." Shadow told him, unaware that Tikal was watching from a distance, smiling in approval._

"_Uh-uh." Ibilis said cheerily, biting into his bread._

"HIM?" Shadow wondered to himself.


	31. Alone in the Dark

**Author's Note: **

**Sorry for taking so long. Schoolwork delayed me. But now it's back to work again! Hope you enjoy this new chapter! :D  
**

_Science centers around explaining how the world works in terms that all can find common. _

_Faith is about explaining WHY the world works in terms one cannot ignore. _

_The two are rarely compatible. And Magic's foundation is found in faith. The elements of the world, the manipulation of time and space, the healing of any and all wounds, these are possible with magic, as long as you remember..._

_All magic has a price._

_Nothing...is free..._

**Episode Thirty**

**アローンインザダーク****...**

**Alone in the Dark...**

"Okay...I don't like you. And you don't like me." Shade said as she folded her arms, taking a deep breath. "But I think we need to set aside our differences and work together if we can overcome these obstacles. All I need you to do for me is MAKE THIS FREAKING JUMP!" Shade finished with a roar, mashing her buttons down on the gamepad controller she had.

Alas, nothing doing.

"Sorry, what awful luck you've had." General Speedy said, brushing his tufted feathers back slightly, looking clearly amused. "Reminds me of Private Dorsey from my platoon. He never made that one pillar jump either."

"I hate you Mario, I hate you so much." Shade groaned, holding her hands over her face and shaking her head back and forth before finally putting down the game controller and turning to the general. She and he had set up shack in the employee lounge, and the general had no idea everyone was listening through the next room over...the walls of the employee lounge were so thin you could hear EVERYTHING. "I do hope you don't mind me trying to let off some steam before I speak with you, today has been...frustrating." She explained.

Speedy frowned slightly. "Oh? How so?"

"Regrettably, we were under attack earlier today by some foul monster." Shade explained. "The thing wouldn't die no matter how many times we shot it. And we filled it with so much lead it would have been able to use it's penis as a paperweight."

"Sounds quite intriguing..." Speedy mused, rubbing his chin, looking intrigued. "What happened? Hw did you defeat it?"

"Well, eventually the **Metal Brotherhood **managed to come up with a way to defeat it. They arrived n the same day as that THING did, actually. I wondered if perhaps they had something to do with it showing up..." Shade went on, standing up and walking around to a nearby couch, sitting on the edge. "It would be immensely problematic if they turned out to be spies..."

"Spies?"

"Yes. Picture it in the news. The famous metallurgist brotherly duo turning traitor? The public apparently loves them, they'd probably drop our beloved autocrat like a hot potato and rush to their side if Sonic or Tails started a coup."

"...really?" Sonic thought to himself with a hint of pride, blushing a bit as he put his ear to the wall along with Bark, Heavy and Miles.

"They've got no respect for my authoritah!" She added, banging her fist on the wall RIGHT where Sonic's ear was, making him gasp in pain and reel back. "I ought to have them drawn and quarted for causing all this trouble that freakish crystalline thing caused. The problem is...sigh." Shade folded her arms.

"...I've never told the army this, but the reason I joined the service was because I lost my little brother and sister at a younger age. I had no strength to help anyone then...but I seek to protect those within my borders now. Now I'm strong enough to keep the ones I care for safe, all the little dibbuns across Mobius. And...unfortunately...those two count as well. Spies or not, I can't bring myself to torture them." Shade sighed, shaking her head, placing one hand over her forehead.

"Well, who knew you had a soft spot for children?" Speedy laughed good-naturedly.

"And worst of all, I'm getting older and older. My joints don't move like they used to, I've lost the girly timbre of my voice...getting older is killing my ambition." Shade moaned. "Oh, woe is me!"

"Cough-cough-bullshit-cough-cough." Bark mumbled as the others sniggered along with him.

"Well..." Speedy's eyes glinted as something dark awakened in him at her words. "What if I were to tell you that the day of immortality was close? Would you like to have your hands on...an immortal army?" Speedy whispered.

Shade grinned devilishly. "Why, general! If your next words are "I can have them here by the end of the week, we might just have to KISS!"

"Gotcha, bitch." Sonic said with a grin, clenching his hand into a triumphant fist as Tails smirked.

...

...

...

... "Um, listen, uh..." Big nervously began. "I'm confused about this "Yakin Shīru" you throw around. I don't suppose y'all could explain it a bit more?" He inquired of Marine as she patted her pet koala. "I know it'll be helpful, but I'd really like to know how it WORKS."

"Well, it's simple enough, actually. Do you see this?" Marine said, holding up a slip of white paper. "This paper, by itself, means nothing. But by putting down an incantation of Life through blood onto it..."

"Blood?"

"Yes, it has to be blood. Think of the Earth as a living organism...magic is it's "blood", and so you need lifeblood of your own to connect to the power of the Earth." Marine said as she carefully pricked her finger using a nail and etched out an incantation onto the page. "Once it attaches to whatever you wanna attack, the Earth will make it blow up or scatter or even protect you!" Marine laughed.

"Ooh. Neat!" Big announced.

"It is! The Earth's "body" is found in the elements, and they're all around us! You guys need rings. But we don't! All we need is a slip of paper and our blood." Marine said. "The biggest thing we use this for is to put the "rhythm of the Earth", or the "lifeblood of the Earth" to our own use by curing illnesses. The Earth acts as our doctor when we use Yakin Shiru. Take two of these..." She waved a slip in the air. "And call it in the morning."

"So it's all about finding the "flow" or "rhythm" around you. This includes people...really neat!" Big said, clapping his hands together. "We don't do that though. We use Rings to invoke the magic around us."

"I don't think you're doing it right though." Marine said nervously. "When I came here, I couldn't help but feel that there was something horrifying about this country...I think there's something really off with the way you use magic..." She murmured. "I felt it before I encountered Void."

"Felt what?"

"Like...like my soul was throwing up..."

...

...

...

... NiGHTS sat down on a tree stump, arms folded, his jester cap bouncing up and down slightly as he tried to stay awake. He wasn't doing a good job of staving off slumberland, unfortunately.

But the very visible specters of his old teacher from Babylon was quickly there to wake him back up.

"YAAAGH!" NiGHTS stumbled off the tree stump, gasping a few times. "Don't spook me like that, popping back out!"

"Hey, at least I waited until you were alone this time." Jackle said nonchalantly, grinning like a Cheshire cat as he floated over to look down at NiGHTS, who laid sprawled out on the grass below the stump. "You know, it's that time again." He told NiGHTS.

"...do I really have to?" NiGHTS murmured, biting his lip. "I...I don't want to say goodbye." He admitted, standing back up as the other ghosts crowded around him. "Puffy, Donbalon, Clawz, Gullwing, Gulpo, all of them and the others are gone now, you're the last one left who has the "potential" needed. But you're also my-"

"I know." Jackle said, putting his hand out...only to have it harmlessly pass through NiGHTS's shoulder. "Forgot about that. Anyhow, NiGHTS, I know what you're going through. Believe me, I'm..." His smile faded, his voice becoming softer. "I'm gonna miss you too. You were...you were really a wonderful friend and...and a wonderful student." Jackle found fresh tears were coming to his eyes and he wiped them away as best he could. "This...let's-let's just get this over with so we don't need to keep cryin', it's...it's not cool for guys to cry..."

"No, it's...it's not." NiGHTS said softly as Jackle's form began to fade away. But he didn't' sound like he believed the words he was speaking. Bowing his head, NiGHTS held one hand up, concentrating as a swirling orange ball of light formed in his hand. He held it above the Earth, shaking it like it was a "Magic Eight Ball", the ball dissolving away into tiny flecks of light...

The flecks finally dissolved into the ground as the ball eventually faded into nothingness, NiGHTS sitting back down on the stump, clinging to himself, trying to suppress his sobs as, mercifully, slumber took him.

_NiGHTS stood by his son's bedside stand, one hand resting upon the wooden frame of the bed, his eyes flicking back and forth as he looked first at the little fox, then the hedgehog. How interesting that she'd been able to give birth to those two species of all things...how strange was his new body..._

_How strange was all of THIS, this situation he was in. He wanted to reach out and pet them, but he felt sickened by the idea...sickened, like he was polluting his son's lives just being in the same room. _

"_Why are you so ashamed of yourself, NiGHTS?" Aleena said, shaking her head as she entered the room in her evening negligee. "Why are you so restrained around them? You don't hug them, you don't pet them, you don't talk to them nearly enough...if you think they'll turn into "monsters" like you, that's being silly. If you could catch being turned into a monster, I'd be sprouting fangs right now." She pulled up her lips to show off her teeth._

_NiGHTS laughed a little, hugging Aleena. "I'm sorry, I just...I feel like I don't deserve them." He told her as they let go of each other, heading out into the hall. "I've seen friends I used to have grow old and die before me...I've seen cities rise and fall...I've seen people of all shapes and sizes, yet none of that compares to any moment I've had with you, and..."_

_He rested his body against the wall, looking at his hands. "You make me so happy...and...and I can't repay the favor with this body of mine. And I was frightened about having children, to be honest...what if they inherited my...gift?" He bit his lip. "Gifts that seem so special and wonderful, they can turn out to be so horrifying..."_

_"Like immortality?" Aleena asked._

"_Yes. A life that ends...it still has meaning to those who love them. Until I die, my life won't have had any real meaning..." NiGHTS told her. _

_The next day, Aleena had a "gift" for him. NiGHTS awoke to find himself in the car with Sonic and Tails, on their way to the amusement park quite some miles from the city. "How long have you been planning this?" NiGHTS asked as he got out of the car, lifting Sonic into his arms, Aleena taking Tails. _

"_Oh, quite a while, actually." Aleena said cheerily as they approached a "Tea Cup" ride, getting inside of it. "We needed a little vacation, all four of us, wouldn't you say?"_

_Soon they were at the game booths, with baby Sonic trying to throw a baseball. He failed, of course, but Aleena knocked down all the bottles, earning them a big teddybear, which Sonic clung to tightly, happily rubbing his face in it. _

_"Look, someday I'll be an old with a sagging butt and my face will look ten times older than my chest. But no matter what, as long as we can all smile together as a family, I'll be fine." Aleena said as they put their heads into slots on a large cutout scene that showed them replacing the US presidents at the signing of the Declaration of Independence. "So c'mon. Just smile." _

"_Say cheese!" The photographer said as NiGHTS adjusted his head to fit better into Washington's place. _

_FLASH! _

_The picture showed tears slowly trickling down his face._

...

...

...

...meanwhile, back at Nocturne, in the long, dark hallway that our protagonists had snuck into before, an expedition had gone inside to go deeper and deeper, to fully examine the tunnel and see if it did, in fact, connect up to others. But the recon team had gone quite a long way and was now tired, so they'd set up camp.

"We can put off examining this thing for ten, fifteen minutes." The head of the recon team insisted, adjusting the large hunter's hat he wore atop his head as another echidna began to set up a small fire to start up a small kettle he'd brought. "I'm staaaarving."

"Sure thing, Mace." An otter said as he put the recording equipment away, save for the camera, holding it up to face his...well, his face. "We're about to eat lunch now." He turned the camera to show the others at the fire that the second-in-command had started. "Wave to the camera, Dimmy!"

"...please...don't call me that." The echidna said, pouting visibly, all of the unaware of the form that was slinking carefully through the hallway, crawling along the walls towards them, dark intent glistening in its eyes.

"Hey, trust me on this, you're going to be really grateful for all of this one day." The otter, who was named Frederick, or "Freddy", insisted. "I mean, I caught that monster on tape, now we're catching this. Someday, this'll all be one big, huge, blockbuster documentary and we'll be able to look back and say "I was LIVING in that, my dear grandkids, I was a part of history"."

"Yeah, yeah. Just pass the butter." Mace insisted.

"Here." Somebody said, a mechanical, slightly-segmented tentacle holding the butter stick up for Mace to take so he could butter his roll.

"Oh, thank-YYYOOOOUUUUUAAAAUUUUUHHHH!" Mace howled in horror as mechanical tentacles suddenly shot out from the darkness, wrapping around them all. The mechanicals had a slightly slimy, humid feel to them, as if they'd been left lying around in the tunnel's damp air for many days, and a frightening smell that made one think of dark alleyways behind brothels and the bathrooms of cathouses.

A horrifying mechanical monstrosity hovered through the air towards them, the tentacles from it's body holding them all in place, an unmistakable smile slowly spreading across it's features as it moved it's body in front of the otter, picking up the camera and carefully holding it's lens to face the face of otter, making sure the camera caught a good look at his frightened, tear-stained face.

"Now be a good little boy and talk into the camera. I'm sure you've seen that scene from that movie, Blair Witch..." The thing said calmly, cooing as it moved its body down to the waist of the otter, removing the shirt and licking the otter's stomach, the tentacles of its body tightening firmly, the sharp tips moving in and out of it's prey.

"Oh God...oh God...mom...dad...I'm so scared..." The otter sobbed as the thing's tentacles let go of the others, now wrapping around the otter. The camera fell to the ground as the thing smiled, calmly removing the otter's remaining clothes.

"Just relax. There's nothing to be scared of. Just let me...there...oh, _yes_...doesn't that feel _good_?"

"Sttoooooooppppp...naaaauuuhhhhh..."

...

...

...

... "What do YOU want." Sonic mumbled as he sat with Tails, looking at General Speedy. It was nt so much a question so much as a statement laced with annoyed fury. He remembered Shadow's words, everyone at the top was corrupt.

"You haven't said anything...unnecessary...to people here, have you?" Speedy asked calmly. "We can't have our little birds singing."

"Oh don't worry SIR." Sonic said with as much faux politeness as he could muster in his voice. "We haven't made a single peep."

"We had to promise our glorious leader that we wouldn't." Tails insisted.

"Is there a problem?" Speedy inquired, looking amused.

"You're taking hostages. That's our problem. SIR!" Tails said, his voice equally filled with venom.

"You're young. There's much you don't understand. We're doing this for the good of the whole nation. For the whole world! You might not be feeling you're being treated fairly, but you'll be grateful eventually. Everyone needs to keep working towards a brighter future."

Tails and Sonic resisted the urge to snap back at him and Tails tried to muster up genuine politeness. "Uh, sir, when will we be released? We'd like to keep going on our journey."

"Oh don't worry about that, or that tunnel. Major General Shade shall release the Golem back into the tunnel and seal it shut. She's on our side now. In fact, she's agreed to begin sealing up the tunnel immediately, they've already got cement ready and being mixed right in the base." Speedy explained.

"But ma'am, the recon team-" One lieutenant insisted, his voice being cut off as Shade grabbed him by the collar and throttled him slightly.

"Shut up and do as you're told!" She snapped at him, tossing him back as Emerl stood by a "good as new" Bean, overlooking the scene. Had Emerl any real face to form a look, he would have been glaring at Bean with the utmost revulsion. He wondered if he could catch the sadism by standing too close, treating the green-feathered bird like he was a sack of garbage he had t take out to the curb...under protest.

"Nothing quite like a woman will balls, eh?" Bean asked Emerl calmly. "But even a wild horse can be tamed by putting a muzzle on it."

Emerl's hands tightened around the guard rail he was standing by.

"Stand back." Several men said as he carried out the container that held the goopy remains of the Golem. Very strangely, a pair of burning red eyes was clearly visible, floating around in the black ooze that made up the inside of the container. Speedy, now finished with his talk with the brothers, approached the container as the eyes focused on him...

A mouth slowly spreading out across the ooze. "Let me out."

"Have a nice nap?"

"I'm really not in the mood for quips."

"But are you in the mood for work? It's your Christian duty to obey your master, slave."

The thing gave Speedy an unmistakable glare before it began to laugh, high and cold, the container slowly dissolving away into the ooze as the black, tar-like substance began to reform into Mephiles the Dark, who finished laughing, nodding at Speedy. "Well said indeed."

He headed back towards the tunnel, jumping inside as Bark stood by Shade, looking from her to the thing, General Speedy turning to face the others in the base. "You see? He works for us. He's an organism created by the autocrat for the purpose of making the country a better place. The details are classified though." He added simply. "Now, if you could seal the tunnel behind him?"

"Uh, before you do..." Mephiles's voice called out as Sonic and Tails entered the room, looking rather miffed about what Speedy had told them.

Mephiles came back out of the tunnel hallway he'd been in...holding onto a very frightened looking otter that had been stripped of it's clothes and was carrying a bloodied camera, blood matting it's fur in...select places. It's eyes were wide, it's pupils little pinpoints as it shivered, looking positively horrified at what it had seen.

"H-Holy CRAP! G-get a medical team!" Bark yelled out as Shade's eyes widened visibly in absolute horror, Sonic and Tails looking at each other, clearly disgusted and disturbed. Mephiles put the otter down, heading back into the metallic hallway, disappearing into the darkness. "What happened?" Bark asked the otter as it lay on the floor, lib quivering.

"It-it...it was...it tried to...I..." The otter sobbed.

"Such a dangerous hole. We really can't leave it like this, now can we? Yes, best close it up right now." Speedy said calmly, folding his arms.

"But the rest of the recon-"

"I wasn't talking to you." Speedy told Bark as Emerl, disgusted, left the room with Bean following behind, clearly amused. Speedy turned to Shade. "Obey the strong. Survival of the fittest, correct?" Speedy inquired, looking amused.

"So "lesser beings" are sacrificed for the benefit of the "chosen few"?" Shade murmured as the cement truck was brought in.

"Indeed, the weak become the cornerstones upon which the world is built, with the strong prospering above them." Speedy said. "All of it is Evolutionary."

"Yes...yes, I see..." Bean said as he turned off his cell phone, turning to Emerl. "Well, I can't stay too much longer. Shall we go see General Speedy?"

"Not over a day ago you were in a hospital bed, practically crippled. Now you're walking around like you just got finished with a minor flu. And on top of that, you're out of prison after murdering your own head officers. Why the hell have you not been put into the electric chair?" Emerl finally said, the levee of his tolerance bursting.

"That's really not of your beeswax, buddy." Bean said, patting Emerl's chin.

Emerl grabbed his hand and slowly tightened his grip on it before letting go.

"It's because I was a state metallurgist in the Shanazaran Campaign, right? What'll it take for you to get off my case, huh? Do you want the moon? I'll reel it in for you right out of the sky." Bean commented.

"Shut up." Emerl growled.

"Do you want to shoot me? A petty thing like revenge won't bring your dead people back."

"SHUT UP."

"Would you like to know how your people died? Ah, so that's it. Alright, I won't leave out a single-"

"I SAID **SHUT THE FUCK UP!**" Emerl shouted furiously.

Meanwhile, the cement truck had poured in an enormous amount of fresh cement into the hole. Once it was hardened, the hallway of that strange abandoned space station in the middle of Nocturne would be sealed off from the outside world.

"To think, we've been waiting for so long, and now the plan's close to fruition." Speedy said dreamily. He sounded like he was talking about a girl, not an evil mastermind's plan. "Fanaticism hasn't got any time to rest."

"So they're not just eager, they're nervous." Shade thought to herself.

"I'm most grateful for your help, general." Speedy said, patting Shade on the shoulder. "I'll talk to the higher-ups and get your seat ready."

"Oh, there won't be any need to prepare a seat." Shade growled.

She struck hard, striking out with her rapier, spearing him in the place where it hurt the most. He let out a horrified howl, his body convulsing with pain, eyes bugging out as Shade took the rapier and TWISTED.

"You used to be a model solider who loved this country. Now you're just another bond villain. I'm sick of people like you. Scumbag. I think I'll take the seat your rotten ass has been sitting in!" She roared, removing the sword, then kicking him down to the ground, gasping in pain.

"You're...throwing away...immortality..." Bean managed to squeak out as Shade promptly kicked him closer and closer to the cement.

"Your immortality requires you to abandon your allies and betray your comrades. You're selling out your country. You're the "weak"." Shade muttered hatefully. "Oh, and you know what else? The whole "survival of the fittest" thing? You're misinterpreting what Darwin said. "Fitness doesn't refer to whether an individual is "physically fit": bigger, faster or stronger. It means they just screw better than other animals. And I'd say we've screwed you pretty damn well." Shade said with a smirk as she let loose a final, harsh kick.

And Speedy was tossed into the cement pit.

"Well." Shade said cheerily. "That was fun! Who wants Chinese?"

...

...

...

...Shadow frowned to himself as he looked around the city from a rooftop, watching as the enormous creature arose from a crack in the ground to the middle of Mystic Ruins. He growled at this, seeing the beast unleash a surging torrent of magma at the town, roaring as people desperately ran for their lives, seeking to escape from the lava-built beast.

"That thing has got to be working for Void. He wishes to see the city suffer..." Shadow murmured as he leapt down from the rooftop, rushing past a wrecked building...

Stopping at the sight of a single arm sticking out of the rubble, blood trailing slowly out. His body stiffened, his eyes widening as he sucked in a harsh breath.

And he saw a little human girl with black ponytails sobbing as she clutched the arm, wailing for her mother. Shadow gently picked the toddler up, letting her cry into his chest. He said nothing. What could he say?

But it was then that he noticed a certain lava-built lizard being staring at him. The fiery Ibilis was standing across from him, atop a series of steps that led into a library.

"Ibilis. You're the one controlling that monstrosity in the city. You have to stop this."

"Hundreds of innocents will die! As innocent as this baby I'm holding in my arms."

"..."

"You don't have to fight me. There's more kindness out there than you realize. I don't want to be your enemy, only your friend. Please. Stop all of this." Shadow insisted quietly.

"..." Ibilis pointed to the side at a bench, then at the girl in Shadow's arms.

"You want me to put her down."

"Yes." The magma-fueled lizard said, green eyes glittering.

The girl flailed around in Shadow's arms, wailing some more before burying her face deeper into his chest.

"She's simply too scared." Shadow said, shaking his head. "Ugh, what am I to-"

Then Ibilis approached, holding out one palm before the girl's eyes. She watched as, right before her and Shadow, a small, burning ember began to form in the palm of Ibilis's three-clawed hand and a moment later, that ember became a burning chunk of rock, which began t harden...cooling...turning into a rough diamond and then...

Now a tiny little deer was in the center of Ibilis's palm. He handed it to the girl and she turned it over, looking very much amazed at the sight before her. Ibilis gently picked her up out of Shadow's arms, putting her down on the bench and patting her head before turning to Shadow.

"So...no regrets?" Shadow asked quietly.

Ibilis shook his head. "Let's be done with this."


	32. A Taste of Despair: The Original Sin

_Science centers around explaining how the world works in terms that all can find common._

_Faith is about explaining WHY the world works in terms one cannot ignore. _

_The two are rarely compatible. And Magic's foundation is found in faith. The elements of the world, the manipulation of time and space, the healing of any and all wounds, these are possible with magic, as long as you remember..._

_All magic has a price._

_Nothing...is free..._

**Episode Thirty-One**

**绝****望の味：原罪****!**

**The Original Sin!**

If it was possible for a robot to have veins throb on its forehead, then Emerl would have had a face that looked like ten million little roots were running through it. The Gizoid was steaming mad at Bean and moments away from taking the annoying, aggravating duck's "damn fool head off", a phrase he'd learned from watching Nurse Laverne on "Scrubs", his personal favorite show. He wanted to take Bean down right then and there, but wasn't completely sure if Jesus would be cool with that.

"Little Jesus, should I bust his head open until the white meat shows?" Emerl asked a tiny little statue of Jesus that he'd been keeping in his outfit as Bean stood nearby, giving him a look that clearly questioned whether it was possible or not for a robot to be high as a kite.

"Turn the other cheek, my friend. Fighting outside of a hockey rink is never wrong." "Little Jesus" answered. Emerl nodded sagely, putting the little thing back into his hidden pocket in his chest as Bean tried to erase the moment from his mind, seeing as it was pushing out the memory of his fifth birthday-WOOP! There went the lovely time he had with the clown.

It was then that Emerl noticed he had a text message. "Outfitted Speedy with Concrete Shoes. Proceed with plan."

Now if robots could smile, Emerl would have been able to become a grin salesman. A veritable spring in his step, he promptly approached Bean, trying to contain his glee. "It seems that General Speedy's gone missing. Have you the slightest clue where he could be?"

"...eh, what?" Bean asked, looking confused.

"This place is dangerous. If you wander off not knowing where you're going, you'll get an icicle to the head or fall down a vent shaft or-"

"Okay, a moment of grief for my dearly departed uncle..." Bean promptly wiped a single faux tear from his eye with his neckerchief before putting it back on. "WELL!" He clapped his hands together. "I am o-u-t outta here, away from you, I've got to go pick up somebody I just texted to my "friends" to bring up here to Nocturne." Bean said. "See, our dear autocratic pile of blubber told me, and these were his exact words..." Bean cleared his throat. "Should any unfortunate accident befall General Speedy, you are free to move about the country."

Bean smirked. "Just like in the commercial."

Emerl's grin business had just gone bankrupt.

...

...

...

...quite some time later, Bean arrived in the employee lounge with a look on his face that seemed to indicate he had something he was very, very proud of.

"Uh...sir...what's with the prideful swish in your step?" Tails inquired as politely as he could, looking rather confused.

"Guess." Bean said, putting his hands on his hips and closing his eyes in smugness. This, combined with the neckerchief, completely obliterated any trace of masculinity he still had inside of him.

"Hmm. Well...you couldn't have won the lottery...you couldn't have gotten a promotion...you couldn't have gotten yourself a girlfriend...it must be something twisted that has to do with getting at us somehow." Tails reasoned.

"You ARE smart!" Bean complimented, doing a fake slow clap. "But cheer up! Because I'm nice I decided to bring you a visitor to perk you up before I drop the bad news on you. But before I drop that, I need to introduce you to a certain somebody you might know, Ms. Da Bomb."

"Who's Da Bomb?"

"I'M Da Bomb!" Amelia Rose laughed, entering the room, waving her hand in the air as the other guards in the room all clapped and nodded in approval as she blew kisses. "We came up with the joke in the car."

Sonic and Tails stared from her to Bean, gaping a bit.

"...ahhhhh...aaahhhhhh..." Sonic managed to groan out as if it physically hurt him to talk.

"Amy...what're you doin' here?" Tails squeaked out.

"Well, Bean called me up and told me that you guys needed a bit of an upgrade on your rings and you wanted to see me, so..." Amy shrugged. "Plus he paid for the trip up here and took me to this base in his private limo which had a cocktail bar with little cocktail weenies. So there's that."

"...damn it. He's a perfect gentleman." Sonic mumbled, realizing he was licked.

_Amy had been sitting in the train station some blocks from the hospital that Bean had been discharged at, with rather odd-looking guards stationed around her for "her own protection". The most noticeable of them were a yellow/golden-haired hedgehog with bright blue eyes behind thick glasses and a thicker set of locks jutting from his forehead, whilst the other was a light-blue furred fox with red bands in his locks. The two of them almost looked like some kind of cute couple._

"_Are you two...uh..." Amy asked nervously._

"_What, me and Johnny?"_

"Ewan and me? Nah..."

_Then the two looked almost longingly at each other, Ewan mouthing "I love you, Johnny" before going back to having faces like stone. Amy tried to think of other things and, luckily, found somebody was coming into the lobby from the door to her right...a green-feathered duck. _

"_Good afternoon! My name is Bean, the __**Dynamite Metallurgist**__. It's very nice to meet you." Bean said, taking Amy's hand and giving it a gentlemanly kiss before he led her to his private limo, opening the door for her as Amy sat down, noticing the cocktail weenies on a small tray nearby. _

"_You're so nice! Thanks!"_

"Your last name is "Rose", am I right? Would your parents happen to have been Blaze and Silver Rose?" Bean asked softly as Amy almost choked on her cocktail weenie. 

"_Y-yes. They were."_

"I was leading the men that found their...that found them dead. To the very end they stuck to the Hippocratic Oath and treated everyone they could, acting as angels despite being in the middle of Hell." Bean told her. "I admire people who stick to their codes. You got two things in this world: your word, and your balls, and I, personally, don't break them for anything!"

_He then leaned back in his seat, sighing a bit. "We...also found a picture of them with a little dibbun. I imagine it was you. You were very important to them, I'm sure." He smiled at Amy. "Here, I've...kept it with me for some time. You deserve to have it back." He said, pulling out a small, tattered-looking photo of Silver and Blaze as they held onto their daughter with a large smile on their faces. _

"_...thank you." Amy said nervously, mumbling quietly. "Thank you."_

"Sooooo..." Amy said as she put the finishing touches on the rings around Sonic's wrists. "THAT should do the trick. Now why don't you tell me what the heck you were doing getting in trouble with the nice people up at Nocturne? They've been so sweet!"

"Did they charge you 10 bucks for a drink?" Sonic inquired.

"No, why?"

"_AAAAAAAAAARRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHH!_" Sonic thought to himself, outwardly putting on a pleasant smile. "No reason. It was all just a big misunderstanding, really, Ames."

"Everything is alright in here?" Bark inquired as he poked his head into the hospital wing as Bean noticed him, looking at him rather strangely. "Do you want to take break, I look after frightened bunnies for you." The polar bear told the duck.

"...have we...met before?" Bean asked, scratching his head. "You look really familiar..."

"Depends. Were you a Metallurgist in the Old Country?"

"...well..." Bean nervously looked left, then right, then cleared his throat. "Da, comrade."

Bark's eyes widened. "...BEANY?"

"It IS you, Bark!" Bean laughed, rushing forth as "Chariots of Fire" began to play spontaneously on the loudspeaker system, Bark and Bean racing towards each other in slow motion as they finally hugged vigorously.

"...you...know each other?"

"This JERK? This pompous, arrogant, mouthy furball? This lumbering, oafish, grammatically-challenged, poorly dressed schmoe? This flea-bitten, cap-wearin', garlic-smellin', soft-shoein' hunk of cheese?" Bean growled, breaking the hug and clenching his fingers into claw-like grips in the air for a moment...before rushing back to bear-hug the polar bear. "**I love him like a brother!**" Bean said happily.

"...uhhhhh..." Amy, Tails and Sonic all mumbled as Shade switched off the Ipod she had connected to the loudspeaker, turning off the camera she had hidden in the hospital wing as Emerl blinked in surprise.

"What was that for?"

"I'm a bitch, but not INCONSIDERATE. Geez." She told him.

"Having known him from back in elementary and middle school in Old Country!" Bark laughed.

"I moved away to Mobius to complete high school in what my mother said was "the best in all the world". What a load!" Bean said. "Bark, buddy ol' pal, could you show dear old Ames to this fine facility's Metallurgic specialist?"

"This way, this way." Bark said, gently taking Amy's hand as he led her out of the hospital wing, Bean smiling.

"Ah, she really does have a passion for her work, I just love girls like her."

"YOU DISGUSTING-" Sonic began.

"Woah, woah, relax. I'm married to my work. You can keep her, tiger."

"She's not my girlfriend!" Sonic said quickly.

"Methinks the **gentleman** doth protest too much." Bean commented with a bit of a sneer. "Movin' on. I need to talk to you about work-related matters." He whistled as the two hedgehog guards that Amy had noticed and thought of as a gay couple moved into the room. "Would you two watch over young Miles for me whilst I speak with Olgilvie?"

"...the name's Sonic. Only my family can call me-" Sonic began to growl. Unfortunately Bean just yanked him into a nearby room as Tails sighed and sat down on a nearby bench, the two guards "hmphing" as they sat nearby.

"...you smell funny." He told them. Darn it. They were trying to keep him and Sonic separated. He didn't like this.

"What do you mean by "work-related matters"?" Sonic wanted to know as he and Bean sat in a private room that had no camera.

"Dr. Eggman has three conditions. Firstly, that you find Omega, who is somewhere up here, hiding out in the mountains around Nocturne. You needn't worry your big blue head about killin' him, I can deal with the rustbucket just fine." Bean said, holding up a finger. "Secondly, you're gonna have to find our dear doctor friend Big, who's apparently travelling with Omega. You don't need to actually hurt HIM either, once again, I've got your back." Bean went on, holding up another finger.

"And lemme guess, you need me to come in to work on SUNDAY, too?" Sonic wisecracked.

"Not quite." Bean said, holding up a third finger. "Number three...you're to incite violence here...creating a shedding of blood that I shall use to help complete the seal of blood this country is circled within." Bean said darkly.

...

...

...

...unbeknownst to General Speedy, there was actually a secondary entrance to the tunnel that Mephiles had gone into, and Emerl was leading a small platoon into it in the hopes of finding any other survivors. They were concerned...spending so much time down in the damp and the dark after enduring an attack like the one that poor Freddy had been through...that played hell with your mind.

Luckily they HAD found one survivor. Mace was still alive, curled in a fetal position, body matted with blood that did not belong to him and blood oozing out of places where it hurt the most.

"H...hurts...hurts so much..." Mace whispered, eyes brimming with tears. "Pl-please gemme outta here...please..."

"Mace, what happened?" Emerl inquired, looking very concerned. Though his face could give away no true features, there was an unmistakable warmth to the hand he placed upon Mace's shoulder.

"It...it came out of the darkness. One moment there was nothing but shadows and dust and then-then it was THERE and there were tentacles everywhere..." Mace managed to whisper out, every syllable dripping with unbridled terror. "It got Dimmy...it...it..." Mace let out a choked whimper and covered his face.

All of them were unaware of the figure that was standing at the far end of the tunnel, hidden in the shadows to the left. It traced a bloodstained claw down the wall for a moment before giggling inside it's head. It would really like to stay and play...but it had other things to do.

Other things...

...

...

...

...Doo-da-dooda-dooda-doo-doo-doooo!

"Dixie?" Rouge the Bat remarked, looking oddly at the front door bell to their glorious leader's estate before being let in by a butler.

"Yes, he changes the doorbell every month. I would too if I could slice my butler's pension in half to do so..." The butler mumbled sadly as Rouge walked inside, thinking that the tight black outfit she was forced to wear nowadays made her boobs pop out too much. Why did Dr. Eggman need to see this expense report at 10:03 at night?

Most likely to remind Rouge that she was his bitch.

"Hello?" Rouge called out as Vanilla descended the steps with a glass of champagne in one hand and a bathrobe on. "Madame Vanilla, good to see you."

"Ah, hello, dear. What can I do you for?"

"I'm here to deliver some urgent expense reports to your husband. He said he needed them by tomorrow."

"Oh, you're such a dear working so late." Vanilla said, though something seemed off about her face as Dr. Eggman entered the room from his side study. "About time you've come back. What were you doing? Why couldn't you go pick up these expense reports yourself?"

"I was making a dictation." Dr. Eggman said, folding his arms after he adjusted the goggles atop his head, his moustache quivering.

"If anybody wishes to hear you talk about yourself, they'll put the ear to the door when we have sex." Vanilla commented icily.

"...wait. I'm HEARING the hate but not SEEING the hate. What's...what's the matter with your face?" Dr. Eggman asked, scratching his head before his eyes widened. "...you botoxed your face into an expressionless mask?"

"The pool guy called me "ma'am"." Vanilla murmured. "We've been trying a "trial unseperation", you see." Vanilla told Rouge. "Trying to rekindle our love."

"...er...uh...I see." Rouge murmured.

"It's not that bad, is it?"

"Show me "Happy"." Dr. Eggman said simply.

Vanilla just stared at him with a blank-looking look on her features.

"Show me "Sad"."

Vanilla just stared at him with a blank-looking look on her features.

"How about "Silly"!"

Blank look.

" No? "Amused"? "Bemused"? "C-mused"?"

Blank look.

"Show me..."angry"."

Vanilla kicked him right between his "chicken legs", making him flounder around on the ground, gasping in pain before he dragged himself off to the bathroom as Rouge tried to contain her laughter. "Uh-you'd...ha-ha...you'd b-better hang onto these and give it to him once...once he gets the strength to pull himself...pull himself off the floor!" Rouge giggled as a shadow was slowly cast over her back, a chill running through her, stopping her laughter at once as she whipped around to see the horrifying figure of-

A cute lil' bunny and her pet chao. Cream was standing there in her pajamas with Cheese sleeping peacefully in her arms. The little thing yawned, rubbing it's eyes before opening them and looking at Rouge and Vanilla.

"Hey, mommy. Uh, me and Cheese were hoping you could read us one of the tales from "Watership Down" before we went to bed?" Cream asked nervously, ears hanging low.

"I'd be happy to, sweetie-pie." Vanilla said, patting Cream and Cheese on the head.

"You're Ms. Rouge, right?" Cheese murmured out. "You're my dad's new personal assistant? Your outfit's neat. I like black!"

"Aw, thanks!" Rouge said kindly. "I'm afraid I can't stay long, I've got other work to do before I hit the hay like you're about to."

"You're workin' late tonight? Aww, that stinks." Cheese said, giving a little pout.

"Come, young master, young mistress, let's get you into bed and your mother will be up to read you a story soon." The butler said, leading Cream and Cheese off and up the stairs as Vanilla smiled as best she could at them.

"They're so devoted to us both. You know, Cream wants to become a state metallurgist and Cheese wants to be a male nurse in the army so they can make our country better." Vanilla said warmly. "They're such a bright light of hope for us both. The two f them have united us in love."

"This reminds me, Cheese was a chao created as a birthday present for Cream, but he might as well be flesh and blood, right?" Rouge inquired. "At least, that's what I've heard. You must be so glad"

"Ah, it's more than that. His ability to speak was given to him from a combination of DNA taken from Ivo's parents." Vanilla explained. "To be honest, my husband created him before we even met!"

Rouge's insides froze but she nodded politely and excused herself from the house, quickly walking out, heading immediately back to her car.

"_Shadow told me that Eggman told him that he didn't REMEMBER who his parents were. He never knew them and never will...and this chao was also supposedly created by him before he even met Vanilla and Cream...something doesn't add up...and combining that with the feeling I got just earlier before, the one that was so much like-"_

"You figured it out?" A voice giggled out from a tree nearby, Rouge's keys moments away from entering the car door. "Ah, that mother of mine. She just LOOOOVES to talk." Cheese laughed as he leaned back against the tree.

Rouge put the keys back in her pocket, turning around slightly to look at Cheese's side as he folded his arms, then tried to recompose herself. "I'd felt a sense of bloodlust when I was inside your home...and I had felt that same kind of horrible feeling only one time before...when that fat gluttonous tub of lard the Biolizard tried to attack me." She muttered. "Just answer me one thing."

"Yes?"

**"...what the hell are you?"**

"...you reaaaally wanna know?" Cheese commented quietly.

Rouge nodded bluntly.

Cheese giggled a bit, holding his small paw over his mouth as he turned to put his hands on his hips, a cheerful smile on his features. "You're really brave askin' something like that. The fact that you haven't tried to run or attack me is smart. You wouldn't be able to escape, nor would any of your toys be able to so much as scratch me. Buuuut, if you stay still, I promise not to make a move either."

"How kind you are." Rouge said sarcastically. "So are you like that golem "**Ignorance**" was?...no, no there's something more horrifying about you." She murmured. "There's some kind of twisted darkness lurking inside you that he couldn't hold a candle to..."

Cheese waved a dismissive hand in the air. "It's true we are _somewhat_ alike...but when it comes to power, there's really no comparison." Cheese explained. "You see..."

At that moment Cheese's body began to slowly shift into something far more different and frightening. His eyes became a frightening, pitiless orange color with a burning red pupil that was slit like a reptile's, his "skin" turning into patches of metal, all different shades of blue. Tiny but sharp claws emerged on his paws as a mouth full of sharp teeth began to form and, most disturbing of all, the tentacles...the tentacles that, with a surprising fluidity, emerged from his back, segmented and powerful like those of a mutant octopus, the tips quivering with rigid anticipation as the now-metallic chao used a worm-like tongue to lick his lips, blood dripping off of the tentacles...and staining his teeth.

"I'm the "Original Sin". And my name Omochao...standing for "Despair"." The golem whispered in a soft, crooning, faux-friendly tone.

"What do you mean by "Original Sin"?" Rouge wanted to know.

"Just what I said. Nothin' more, nothin' less." Omochao, "Despair" commented calmly as he approached Rouge, one tiny hand tracing a claw down her neck as he whispered into her ear, the tentacles keeping her held still as darkness seemed to cover her from other's sight. "Are you really just trying that old trick of "keep the villain talking" just to get what information you can? You really think a monologue is going to save you? That's FUNNY!" He laughed.

"..." Rouge said nothing. She tried not to flinch as he giggled before licking her neck.

"Why don't you join us?" Despair asked her in that almost sweet-sounding, yet emotionless voice of his. Something was very, very "off" about the faux-friendly tone that the golem used. Had it been just a _little_ more convincing, it would make one want to trust him, but the voice wasn't quite right. Something was missing...genuine humanity, compassion. It didn't make you feel at home. It sent off alarm bells in your head.

"You must be joking. You don't want "friends" you want expendable pawns. I know how your kind works."

"Ohhh, don't be like **that**." Despair crooned as he turned his body around, the tentacles tracing over her cheek and chest as he began to undo the belt she had around her waist, licking his lips as a tentacle suddenly clamped around her mouth like a vise. The feeling was absolutely abhorrent...it was like somebody had bathed a squishy slab of iron into a puddle of formaldehyde, a foul stench filling her nostrils, choking her as Despair continued his work. "Doesn't this feel...**good**?"

"G-G-GHHHHH..." Rouge's eyes went wide. This felt so wrong, so disgustingly DIRTY, and the tentacles were holding her in place, fully wrapped around her as Despair pulled the one on her mouth away, allowing his own tongue to wrap around hers. She felt to absolutely terrified to move. If she moved, she'd die a hundred times before she could get one scream out, she **KNEW** this, and she knew that if he continued doing what he was doing now he would take **EVERYTHING** from her, but all she could do was stand there and pray for it to be over soon.

Then divine inspiration hit as soon as he pulled his mouth away, tracing a playful claw down her cheek. "Was it good for you?" He whispered.

"Stop it." She said coldly. "It wouldn't be smart to hurt your most important hostage. You know what Shadow will try if he finds out anything's happened to me."

Despair giggled again. "I DO like you." He said, the tentacles releasing her as he put her pants back on, giving her forehead a playful pat as he slowly slunk into the shadows of the trees nearby. "Just remember, if you tell anybody about what I've done, your little friends won't walk away unscathed. Remember...I'm always watching you..."

His voice got further and further away. "I'm ALWAYS watching you...I'm always WATCHING you...**I'M ALWAYS WATCHING YOU**."

Rouge finally screamed and whipped around...

Nothing.

Nothing...but shadows and dust..and her car keys dropped on the ground. She slowly reached down and picked them up, shaking madly as she tried to insert the keys into her car door.

...

...

...

... "THERE'S NO WAY I CAN DO THAT!" Sonic roared as he slammed his fists into the table he was sitting at, glaring with intense fury at Bean. "First you take Amy as a hostage and now-"

"IIII haven't done ANYTHING." Bean said calmly, placing one hand dramatically on his chest. "Except give you a direct order. Don't tell me you went into the military without the resolve to kill?"

"I went into the military with a resolve to NOT kill." Sonic stated, sitting back in his chair, looking at Bean like he was a bug on his shoe. "It's my job to HELP people, not hurt them. Even if they're trying to kill me I refuse to sink that low. I move way too fast to hold such a grudge against others that I'd kill them."

"...the resolve **not** to kill." Bean finally said quietly. "And you've been sticking to it, from what I've heard. Perhaps that's a truthful way to live."

"Do you think it's right for the military to encourage killing innocent people?" Sonic growled. "Are you really so in the dark-"

"I know, alright? I know what they're up to." Bean said simply.

"...then why the hell-" Sonic began.

"I want to see what change Void will bring about." Bean explained calmly, leaning back in HIS chair. "This is a clash of beliefs. This is like something from out of one of the many kickass animes I used to watch when I was younger. This is resolve against resolve. This is belief against belief. I wanna see who's going to win. The side of you humans or the side of the Golems. God...or the Devil."

"...wanna run that by me AGAIN?" Sonic growled.

"What is right...what is strong...what the world shall ultimately choose...that'll all depend on who wins this mighty battle. The only reason "God" keeps winning is because he's the most powerful being in the universe. He is God. Therefore everything he backs is ultimately going to win, that's the line of thinking, correct? But if I had as much power as he did, then anybody whom I throw my support behind would win as well. Might is what decides what's right. History's always been written by the winners, and since God has been "winning" time and time again, of course the morals you cling to have remained the "right choice"."

"...I can't believe somebody like you passed the psychiatric examination." Sonic finally said. "I wonder, when you're dead, if they'll put your mind in a jar for people to look at. I'm sure we'd find some neat bumps in places there shouldn't be bumps in..."

"Don't get on your high horse. You act the way you do not because you're in the right but because you believe you're in the right. And why do you believe you're in the right? Because of the strength you have." Bean said. "You're really just proud of the guns you're packing, not the stance you're taking."

"No. No, the reason why I act the way I do is because I AM in the right." Sonic said. "The reason why God keeps winning is because HE'S in the right. Might's not right. Any kindergarten kid could tell you they're two different words. If you can't see that, then you're not just crazy, then you're stupid."

"Stupid, perhaps. But also well-connected enough...to have one of these." Bean said, pulling out a chaos emerald.

Sonic's eyes widened.

"You want it so bad I can almost taste it." Bean whispered, leaning in to lick sweet blue.

"...I..." Sonic murmured. "...I wanna know...where'd you get it?"

"The chaos emerald?"

"No, that all-day-sucker."

Bean put the lollipop down. "Never you mind. Now then...do we have a deal?"

"...I need...to talk to Tails. AND Ames. I can't keep leaving her in the dark. It wouldn't be fair to her." Sonic said at last. "I can't betray her confidence."

"...typical. People like you always love talking from up on your moral high horse. But when it comes to getting ahold of something that'll really benefit the ones you love, you jump off your high horse faster than a hooker leaves Salt Lake." Bean laughed.

SOON...

"So that's the deal." Sonic finished. "You're in a hostage situation, and if I turn into a living weapon for the military, they'll give me a chaos emerald and me and Tails can get our original forms back. A fair price, I guess."

Amy leaned against the wall, holding her hands over her mouth, taking in a deep breath before sinking to her knees as Tails supportively patted her shoulder. "...I'm sorry." Amy said softly. "I should have realized what was going on sooner...all you want is to go back to normal but you keep being put through so many detours, it's...DANG IT!" She smacked the wall. "It ain't RIGHT!"

Sonic sighed and folded his arms, turning to Tails. "...Miles?" He asked quietly.

"..." Miles hesitated, then spoke simply. "Do what's right for you."

"...Bean?" Sonic said, turning to the duck. "I'll take on the job, but...there's a favor I'd like to ask of you. Could we search for Omega first, please?"

"...please. You said the magic word. WOW, you've REALLY become so nice and cooperative!" Bean commented cheerily. "How come?"

"Omega killed Amy's parents. I can't just let him get away with it." Sonic said darkly.

"...this time, it's personal, huh?" Bean said simply. "...very well. I understand. Let's go meet with Shade and inform her of the situation, shall we?" He laughed.

"Yes..." Sonic said, walking off with Bean, the duck not seeing the triumphant glint in the hedgehog's eye. "**LET'S**."


	33. Plan of Attack: Attacking the Plans

_Science centers around explaining how the world works in terms that all can find common._

_Faith is about explaining WHY the world works in terms one cannot ignore. _

_The two are rarely compatible. And Magic's foundation is found in faith. The elements of the world, the manipulation of time and space, the healing of any and all wounds, these are possible with magic, as long as you remember..._

_All magic has a price._

_Nothing...is free..._

**Episode Thirty-Two**

**攻撃の計画****：計画を攻撃**

**Plan of Attack: Attacking the Plans**

"Let me see if I have this right..." Shade inquired as her brow furrowed, placing her gloved hands together. "You want me to give YOU command of the search for Omega, and to let you take the Metal Brotherhood with you? On what authority?" She wanted to know.

"This." Bean said, reaching into his neckerchief and pulling out something he'd hidden in the depths...a letter. "This is from our beloved fearless leader." He said, handing it over to Shade, who's eyes passed over the letter, narrowing ever-so-slightly. "It gives me the right, to, well, do anything."

He promptly punched a nearby guard who was standing to his right in the crotch. "I can do that to anybody I want, for example. Or take a whiz right on your desk. Or pull your hair." He added, getting up to do one of the former-

"If you do any of those last two things you die." Shade said simply.

"...I could...but I never WOULD?" Bean said nervously, showing off a slightly nervous smile.

"GOOD. Now." She promptly tossed the letter back in Bean's face. "Feel free to take some soldiers with you."

"Can I take good ol' Poodle Head with me?" Bean wanted to know.

"Who?"

"Bark."

"...Poodle Head. You call him Poodle Head." Shade tried not to let a smile pass over her face. Bark was going to catch hell for the next few days. "...suuuuure. Go ahead!" She said cheerily.

Bean left the room as Emerl folded his arms. "Ma'am, are you positively sure it's alright for that stone cold sociopath to-"

"Not to worry, my dear Gizoid friend. Should all go well, Omega and Bean will fall into mutual destruction. As the saying goes, "don't interfere when your enemy is destroying himself"." Shade mused. "But you go with him too. That girl, the raccoon, is also traveling with Omega. If you can, bring her back. You're good with kids."

...

...

...

... "Ames, really, we shouldn't be bringing you along." Sonic insisted as Bean sat in the front seat, looking amused at how RED Sonic's face was as Amy scrunched up closer to him in the back. Bark, who was driving the car, wondered how a cutie like Amy could see anything in "Blue Balls" and "harrumphed", taking a harsh turn that made Amy slide even deeper into Sonic, making him go "YOOOWWWWW".

"I've noticed a pattern. EVERY time you go out to go catch some big bad, you get banged up and you need me to fix your rings. I'm not waiting around the base for the inevitable call that your leg rings are broken and you need my help. NUH-UH!" Amy said, shaking her head vigorously. "I'm comin' with you whether you like it or not, Sonikku!"

"Sonniku. That might even be worse than Poodle Head." Bean commented.

"Heyyyyyy!" Bark growled. "You quit that or I am turning car RIGHT 'round, right round! Like record, baby!"

"I can't believe we have to look after a girl. This feels degrading." One of Bean's other guards mumbled, a lion sapient with orangish hair, rather large ears and a very thick chest.

"I'm sorry." Amy said, bowing her head immediately.

**BGM: Sad Violin Music**

"But...but I just don't want to be sitting around, waiting. Even if just for a little bit, I want to stay by their side. I'm so..._I'm so sorry_..." She held her hands over face and began to cry as everyone glared hatefully at the lion.

"Uh...I..._nevermind_." The lion grumbled, blushing visibly as Amy inwardly grinned like a devil, Bean putting away the violin, looking rather proud of his OWN performance.

"Where do you even FIT that violin?" Sonic wanted to know. "Your neckerchief? What ELSE d you keep in there?"

"Oh, no, not my neckerchief. I keep it in my ass. Yeah, I pull things out of there for comedic effect. Kind of like the author of this story!" Bean cheerily commented.

VREEEEEE! The car came to an aprupt halt and Bean's face went slamming into the windshield with a harsh THUMPA-THWUCK as he moaned, Bark's face showing positive pleasantness. They'd reached an abandoned base camp that had, at one point, been used as a starting ground for other projects until the good folks at Nocturne had decided to go to a new location. The steely-walled structures were faded and dull in color, the rooftops covered in moss as several spiders spun their new homes in the corners of every stairway that led up to a new floor.

And it didn't smell too good either. Sonic's nose scrunched up as Tails slightly gagged; the trash and sewage from the main base was delivered down here to be destroyed, but today wasn't garbage day, so they'd have to do their searching whilst the smell of rotten fish, ten-day-old bananas and foully-cooked corn muffins filled the air.

A tragic, tragic waste of good baked goods material.

"We're here!" He announced. "Shanazaran was spotted here last at the base camp of Nocturne. We are hoping you will choose to fly again with us."

"Not...freakin'...likely..." Bean gasped as they clambered out of the car, a second car following after with more guards, the "leader", another one of Bean's men, whistling sharply, getting all of the guards out immediately.

"Do you want me and Jackson to go with Misters Sonic and Tails, sir?" The elephant sapient inquired, saluting proudly. It had a fairly long trunk with a balding patch of hair atop its head but a surprisingly-well-toned body. Obviously he took his vitamins. Sonic and Tails immediately looked at each other.

They said nothing, naturally. But their faces told each other all they needed to know. It was as though they shared a psychic connection.

"_How are we going to lose these two clowns?"_

_"I've got an idea."_

Sonic timed it. He waited carefully, patiently, agonizingly for the other guards, Bean, Bark and Amy to be far out of the line of hearing as he and Tails made their way through the old, abandoned base camp.

"LOOK!" Sonic suddenly yelled, pointing off in the distance. "Lady Gaga and Kayne West are teaming up to create a REAL "fame monster"!"

The two guards immediately turned their heads in the direction Sonic had pointed at, seeing...

A pile of trash. They frowned at each other.

"...do you think this is something of an author commentary on what he thinks of two popular musical artists?"

"No. I think it's a commentary on the current state of pop music."

"You sure? Cuz I thought he seemed like the kind of guy who LIKES pop music."

While they were discussing THAT, Sonic and Tails had snuck off and were sitting on top of a roof...

With Marine the Racoon hugging Tails tightly. "Oh, my knight in shinin' armor, I KNEW you were gonna come for me, I KNEW it! Oh, it's gotta be some kinda FATE you're here!"

"Of all the roofs to hide up on, she had to land in mine." Sonic mumbled. "...look, we wanted to meet with you." He told Marine, folding his arms. "There's a LOT we gotta talk about."

"Oh, two brothers fighting over love!" Marine said dramatically, floundering around on the top of the roof. "If you turn out to be my long lost brother Englebert, this'll be better than the soaps my watches!" Marine told him.

"...can I come out now?" Amy called out from the other side of the roof as Sonic and Tails and Marine blinked in surprise.

"Who's this shiela?" Marine wanted to know.

"This is our childhood friend, Amy Rose-wait. Amy, how did you get away from the guards?" Sonic wanted to know.

Amy blushed visibly. "Oh, well...I have my ways." She said, twirling a lock of hair. "The Rose Family Secret Charm Technique works EVERY time!" She laughed.

"CoughcoughSLUTcoughcough." Marine fake-coughed as a cat nervously emerged from behind a very large chimney nearby. "Oh, Mr. Big! Look who's popped up, huh? The gang's all here 'cept for ol' Omega-Mega-Man!" She laughed.

"...BIG? Is that...YOU?" Tails gasped, looking Big over. "You've...lost weight!...and...changed color."

"...I know." Big said morosely.

"He's not the only one who's lost weight! I've lost weight, sleep, pride and dignity following you three around!" Nack added, climbing onto the roof as well, giving the Metal Brotherhood an angry glare.

"...oh. It's you." Sonic moaned, rolling his eyes as he looked at Nack. "Great. **Fang the Sniper**, what're you doing here?"

"I'm stuck tagging along with a serial killer of state metallurgists and all you can say is "what're you doing here"?" Nack snapped angrily. "I oughta bust a cap-"

"Where IS Omega?" Sonic wanted to know suddenly.

Where indeed. Omega was now facing down the yellow-golden-haired hedgehog and light-blue-furred fox that Amy had noticed when she was being picked up by Bean.

"So YOU'RE Omega. I'd recognize that Greek symbol anywhere." The hedgehog growled.

The Shanazaran would have frowned if possible...and possibly smirked. "Two guards? Two skilled metallurgists regularly lose against me. What hope do you have?"

"Oh, we know ordinary joes wouldn't be able to hold a candle to you. But...well..." The fox commented calmly, suddenly sneering and showing off razor-sharp teeth. "We'Re NoT oRdInArY." He whispered.

Right before Omega's eyes, the two began to transform, their bodies slowly shrinking, their eyes enlarging as wings spread out from their backs. The now hedgehog-esque chao had a golden/yellow body with strange orange/black tattoos running over his frame that continuously shifted places over and over, as if he was a computer screen and some child was reading a book, scrolling down continuously. The other had become a fox-like chao with a large array of tails that fluttered in the air as his bands slowly began to change colors, from red, to orange, to yellow and to green...

"Chao? Hmm. Intriguing." Omega commented.

"Not just ANY chao!" The fox-like chao laughed as his tails stood up in an erect, peacock-like fashion. "BEHOLD!" The fox-like roared out.

It thrust it's little paws forward as burning white fire launched out from atop it's tails, soaring through the air towards Omega, who swerved to the side to dodge. "You can use MAGIC?" Omega snarled.

"How keen!" The hedgehog/chao laughed, sniggering madly. "We're far stronger than any normal guard, and we know your tricks."

"Oh REALLY?" Omega snarled, his claws glowing purplish/black, tendrils of dark energy shooting out like snakes that sought to bite and bite and bite. The hedgehog/chao and the fox/chao spun away as the hedgehog/chao opened it's mouth, beads of energy drawn into it's maw as it let loose a sudden, powerful burst of glistening golden energy. Omega was slammed into the wall as the hedgehog/chao grinned.

"Chaos techniques." Omega growled.

"He IS keen!" The fox/chao commented cheerily as Omega nervously looked around. This might be trickier than he thought, he thought to himself.

...

...

...

...meanwhile, Shadow was sitting in a chair, a cell phone to his ear as he tried to call up Rouge...thoughts of a fight lingering in his mind. A fight with a certain "living lava lizard".

Ibilis had proven to be a more troublesome foe than he'd thought, mostly because...he hadn't wanted to fight with him.

It hadn't started out well...

...

...

...

...KRA-KRAM! A fiery fist slammed into Shadow's form, knocking him through the air, spiraling backwards as Ibilis tossed a fireball up and down in it's three-clawed paw, a firm, solemn expression on his features. "I don't have anything against you personally. But if you don't fight seriously...you'll die." Ibilis informed Shadow as he held the fireball up into the air, the flames slowly forming into an enormous gauntlet that covered Ibilis's hand. He held up another palm, a new fireball gauntlet forming, and slammed his fists together, rushing forth at Shadow.

Who promptly caught him on the side of the head with a spinning back kick. SHA-THWOOM! The fiery lizard soared through the air, spinning like an out-of-control top and striking the wall of the library, going right through the wall and into the building. "GAH!" Ibilis gasped out, struggling to his feet.

ANOTHER sharp kick knocked him backwards and he struck the ground, heaving slightly as Shadow held up his hands, chaos energy swirling around them, thinking back to all the lessons that Tikal had taught him.

"You...will not defeat me." Shadow said firmly. "And your weakness disgusts me."

"Weak?" Ibilis said with a sneer, his tail lashing out, striking Shadow's legs and knocking him to the floor, following up a moment later with a harsh kick to Shadow's face, knocking him flat on his back. "Because I'm choosing this path?"

"Yes." Shadow growled. "I thought you were better than this. I may have only known you for a few days, but it feels like I've shared a lifetime with you in that time. I've seen you. The REAL you. You're copping out. It's pathetic." The black-furred hedgehog said, jumping back to his feet. "You're making the wrong choice in fighting me...in siding with Void."

"I don't have a choice." Ibilis said simply.

"We ALWAYS have a choice." Shadow said right back.

A sudden, unexpected strike to the gut knocked him flying out of the library and into the nearby park as Ibilis shook it's head. "The illusion of choice is not a choice." It whispered sadly.

Shadow jumped back to his feet, holding his fists up high as he rushed forward at Ibilis, who also shot forth, the little girl that Shadow had rescued before looking on and whimpering, clearly upset at seeing the two fighting. They began to pound the crap out of each other, each punch thrown thudding through their bodies with as much force as either could muster.

But then Shadow got a harsh strike to Ibilis's shoulder, making him stagger backwards, and the burning being frowned darkly.

"I suppose I'll have to get more serious." Ibilis said quietly. He clenched his fists, letting out a loud, proud roar as burning fire rose up from his body, and suddenly Shadow was being knocked backwards by a sudden, quick burst of speedy punches from Ibilis. Gasping, Shadow reeled back as he saw Ibilis's fiery form shimmering all around him, moving so fast it looked like there were DOZENS of him surrounding the poor metallurgist.

"Let's see if you can keep up." Ibilis's voice rang out in a swift blur as another quick series of jabs made Shadow become forced back, burn marks horribly visible on Shadow's body from the strikes.

Shadow closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. He had to focus...he had to remember all that Tikal had taught him.

_Tikal Nuahatl stood at the front of the class, arms folded as Shadow sat Indian-style before her, head bowed. "I want you to pay close attention, Shadow." She explained softly. _

_The echidna held up her palms into the air, her locks slowly rising into the air as strange, pulsing blue energy rose around her body, swirling to a point above her palms. _

_Right before Shadow's eyes, an enormous, slightly shimmering ball of chaos energy formed as Tikal smiled in pride. "Remember no matter where you are, chaos energy will always transcend matter. While the things around us might be in short supply, the dreams of people are limitless. And there are seven emotions tied to chaos energy. Right now, I'm using prayers...relying on my"Faith"."_

_She slowly sank back down to the ground. "But there are other emotions you can call forth chaos energy with if truly focused. The wish for freedom. A burning rage. Unbridled joy. Unstoppable hatred. Crippling sadness. Ecstatic Pleasure. Using these emotions, you can call forth the power of chaos energy by fully tapping into their potential. What the strongest emotion within you at the time will be I don't know..."_

Now he did. He was angry. Incredibly angry. The **Burning Metallurgist **felt a white-hot rage rise in him as he let out a powerful, snarling roar and hot-red energy poured over his body, Ibilis stepping back in surprise.

"What...ARE you? A devil?"

"Who am I?" Shadow growled. "I'm the Ultimate Life Form, Shadow the Hedgehog!" 

Shadow shot forward, his fist enveloped in the pulsing red chaos energy, his body now a brilliant yellow hue, his eyes practically nothing but silver blurs as he struck into Ibilis. There was an enormous, lightning-crack sound that rippled through the air as Ibilis went soaring like a bird that had been struck with a baseball bat, magma-esque burning blood drizzling down it's mouth as it-

Landed right at the feet of the immense monster that had Tikal in it's clutches. Shadow's eyes widened. Oh no. Oh NO. He might have won the battle but he'd lost the war. Tikal was going to die because of him, the sore loser was going to-

Ibilis stood up, looking mournfully at Shadow as he closed his eyes, the immense lava beast above Ibilis's small form slowly lowering Tikal's unconscious body to the ground, setting her down on the grass.

"Take her back." Ibilis said softly. "I'm done with this." He said. "Done with causing harm to the people of this city."

The little girl that he'd given the diamond deer to blinked, standing over by Shadow as Ibilis nervously bit it's lip, Tikal mumbling incoherently. "I know I have a mission to complete, but I can't...I can't continue doing this. This feels abhorrent to what I believe in." The magma-fueled lizard said softly, the enormous lava beast slowly dissolving into the ground as Ibilis headed into the street, taking off a sewer grating. "...you're really a swell guy." He said quietly.

Shadow said nothing. What COULD he say? He just looked right back at Ibilis with a solemn expression on his features.

"I hope we meet again." Ibilis said with a sad smile, vanishing into the sewer.

...

...

...

... "Rouge? Oh, good. How are you? Are you doing alright?"

"...yes. Yes, I'm fine." Rouge insisted nervously, rubbing the back of her neck. Of all the times to call...just when she'd been thinking about that horrible monster **Despair's** threat.

_"I'm ALWAYS watching you...I'm always WATCHING you...__**I'M ALWAYS WATCHING YOU**__."_

"...how goes your training?" Rouge wanted to know.

"Oh, my teacher was very pleased with my progress." Shadow thought as a burning red flame popped up over his finger, dancing around as he smirked. "...very pleased. I should be back to work by tomorrow..."

...

...

...

... "It IS good to see you again, Big!" Tails said, shaking Big's hand thoroughly as the whole gang sat down on the roof. "Thanks again for the information you gave us."

"Ahhh, I...I don't think I told you anythin' work bein' thanked for." Big mumbled. "...so I guess you...found out the truth?"

"Yes, we know what goes into the making of Chaos Emeralds." Sonic said softly. "And we found out there's something WAAAAAY past f—ked up about how this country got founded...and how it got introduced to magic." He added.

"So we thought that if we knew more about Marine's "Ring Arts", we'd have a new way of dealing with the puppetmaster pulling the strings!" Tails explained.

"I was hoping you'd show up again. I've been doin' lots and lotsa research." Big said, holding up a notebook. "Now if we could just find Omega and-"

There was something of a loud shuddering boom some distance away as everyone perked their ears up. "Did you hear that?" Sonic asked.

"Hard NOT to." Nack snapped. "Sounds like somebody found Omega before he found us."

"That's not good. Ames, stay here with the others, alright?" Sonic insisted. "Tails and I will go check things out." The **Blue Blur** said proudly, pointing his thumb at himself before Tails picked him up by the arms, carrying him off the roof and towards the sound of the fighting.

Omega, meanwhile, was not organic. But had he been, he would have been panting. These chao were small and fast, and kept on wearing him down with their attacks. Furthermore, his best techniques were in short-range attacks. He couldn't do much from a distance that these chao couldn't block or easily dodge.

So he raised his arm up, claws outstretched, ready to use his dark energy to strike through the floor and-

No such luck. A sudden blast of that white fire from the fox and his arm was enveloped, making him gasp in pain. "GAH! What in?"

It was STICKING to him like tree sap! He flailed his arm around, hissing mad...it didn't just stick to him, it was weighing him down!

"My White Chaos Flame technique will wear you down until you're broken and bloody and perfect for handing over to Mr. Bean." The fox/chao said. "...our boss, not the British guy." He added.

Sonic and Tails, hovering outside of the room, frowned at the sight. They recognized those two grunts. So Bean was using magic-using chao as lackeys, huh?

"Okay, little bro. Time to act like we've never acted before." Sonic whispered.

And with a loud crash they shot through the window, Sonic and Tails landing deftly and taking up a battle stance. "Prepare for an ass-kicking of ROYAL proportions, robot!" Sonic yelled out, pointing dramatically at Omega.

"Yeah, we're going recycle you and turn your head into three dozen coke cans!" Tails promised, suddenly "noticing" the chao in the room. "AH! SCARY MONSTERS!"

"What're you talkin' about, we're on your-" The hedgehog/chao began.

He didn't get to finish. Sonic promptly knocked him square into the other chao with a flurry of swift punches, knocking them into the wall with a loud THA-THUMPA as Sonic grinned, holding up his arm rings and jumping around.

"I'm so light, I'm so light, oh, it feels like my arms are made of feathers!" Sonic cheered. "Amy must have upgraded my speed when she repaired my rings! Oh, I LOVE the element of wind!"

"You're REALLY annoying." The fox chao growled, getting to it's feet, clutching it's head and staggering around, unaware that Tails had snuck around behind it and was now shimmying off to the side. "I'm going to-" It rushed forward...

And then was promptly yanked back. "AAAH!" It fell flat on it's back as the hedgehog/chao howled in pain and the two looked down to see that Tails had tied the fox/chao's tails to the hedgehog/chao's leg.

"Ewan, geez!" The fox/chao muttered.

"It's not MY fault, Johnny!" The hedgehog/chao snapped back. "If your tails weren't so dang long!"

Sonic and Tails stood together, Tails holding up one fist covered in a shining icy blue blaze as Sonic held up a green-tinted fist, wind swirling around his body. "Take...THIS!" They roared out as a freezing wind washed over the two chao, flash-freezing them in place, turning them into ice sculptures as the **Metal Brotherhood **turned on Omega.

"Don't think we forgot about YOU." Sonic added.

"I could say the same to THEE." Omega growled, rushing forward, dark energy enveloping his fists as he surged forth to crush the two.

But he was caught off guard by the sudden appearance of Amy who was now in the doorway, looking straight at him. "YOU?" He gasped...

Tripping on the floor, which had been iced over by Sonic and Tails's attack. He promptly slid across the room, sailing into the wall and crashing to a halt on the floor as Sonic and Tails shot forth, slamming his arms into the ground, their arm wrings glowing.

Instantly, powerful metallic bonds held Omega to the floor as Sonic and Tails stepped back, Sonic turning to look at Amy. "Amy, what're you doin' here? We told you to stay behind!"

"That is what I told HER." Emerl said, entering the room in his full regalia, Nocturne troops on all sides. His group swiftly secured the room as the ice began to melt off the chao, revealing they were unconscious. "...hmm. Those guards Bean had with him...they were chao in disguise? It appears as though the top brass have been doing sickening experiments." Emerl growled. "The more I learn about the people at the top, the more I feel want to vomit."

Emerl approached Omega, folding his arms. "It's hard for me to judge my own kind like this, but this has to be done. I know you made that poor girl cry...there's nothing worse than a man who makes a girl cry."

"Wait." Amy said, moving forward as Sonic blinked in surprise, seeing the pink hedgehog kneel by "I want to know something." She asked Omega as Sonic hesistated...then stopped. He had a feeling it would be wrong to interfere.

"...what." Omega mumbled.

"Why did you kill my mom and dad." Amy stated. It was not a question. It was a demand.

"...anything I have to say would only sound like an excuse. Your parents didn't deserve what they got and I vented my fury and horror at the wrong individuals. Nothing I could tell you would bring them back or take away any emotional pain you might be feeling right now." Omega said solemnly.

Amy was quiet for a long time, just sitting there, chewing on her lip as the others watched on.

"You know, if he turns out to be her father's brain in a metal shell or something, this is better than my sci-fi shows." One of the guards whispered.

"...looks like your arm's been burnt." Amy said quietly, finally breaking the silence between her and Omega. She reached into her pocket, getting out what looked like a kind of oil and a rag, rubbing the oil onto the rag. "This'll help patch it up." She told him, scrubbing his arm with the rag.

"You're...treating him!" Sonic exclaimed as Tails gasped in surprise, Emerl and the guards looking confused.

"It's what mom and dad woulda done." Amy said simply, shrugging.

"Are you saying you forgive what I did?" Omega asked, looking confused.

"DON'T say stupid things." Amy said angrily, giving him a glare. "There's a big difference between forgiving a person and forgiving an ACT. I can NEVER forgive what you DID. I'm bearing with you, "putting up" with you because it's what my parents taught me to do. I might not LIKE you, but I'm not going to keep hating you. Understand?"

And strangely, Omega did, thinking back to Master Bokkun...

_"Master Bokkun." Omega gasped as Bokkun sat across from him. "I thought you were..."_

_"I had been worried about you too." Bokkun admitted, smiling broadly. "But I've been hearing rumors. You big idiot, you've been going around and killing state metallurgists!" He frowned. "I can GET how you feel so pissed." He waved a finger in the air. "But going around and killing them isn't going to help things. It's not logical. It's not smart. Responding to violence with more violence? That's like trying to put out a fire by getting a BIGGER fire."_

_"I KNOW...it's not logical. Yet...I cannot find myself wanting to deviate from this path." Omega insisted._

_"You're simply going to have to tolerate them." Bokkun went on. "And believe me, I KNOW that gets hard."_

_And...thinking of his brother. Of Gamma..._

_"How can you SIDE with those people? They started all of this!" Omega roared. "They killed an innocent child!"_

_"Brother, hatred...is illogical. Even Religious teachings make this clear." Gamma said, shaking his head. "Metallurgy is magic wielded with science, just as Yakin Shīru is. Faith and Thought need not be enemies, just as organic and robot need not be enemies. It makes sense, brother. The more you have working with you towards a goal, the quicker it tends to get done...and the goal I have in mind?"_

_Gamma looked up, as if gazing into Heaven. "...to help better this world."_

So this is what they meant, Omega thought to himself.

Something suddenly came to mind. "Wait. You." He turned to Emerl. "What did you mean by "my own kind"?"

Emerl sighed, then pressed the little part of his uniform that disguised him, the illusion fading away, showing Omega what he truly was. Omega's red eyes widened.

"I've SEEN you before. You're a Gizoid..." He spoke quietly. "Why are you working for the Mobians?"

"To change how people think of us from within." Emerl said simply. "I know people's minds don't change so easily, but people DO change. That alone gives me hope."

He turned to the other guards. "Let's call up Bean and get this over with." He sighed.

"Wait!" Big's voice rang out as Big appeared in the doorway with Marine, Emerl's eyes widening.

"The raccoon girl?" He exclaimed.

"Don't take him away just yet! There's something you need to know." Big insisted. "It has to do with the Life Ring in him..." He said dramatically.


	34. The Plan Comes Together

_Science centers around explaining how the world works in terms that all can find common._

_Faith is about explaining WHY the world works in terms one cannot ignore._

_The two are rarely compatible. And Magic's foundation is found in faith. The elements of the world, the manipulation of time and space, the healing of any and all wounds, these are possible with magic, as long as you remember..._

_All magic has a price._

_Nothing...is free..._

**Episode Thirty-Three:**

**計画は、一緒に来る!**

**The Plan Comes Together!  
**

"Alright, let me see if I can fully understand all you've explained..." Emerl told Big the Cat, arms folded as the chao henchmen of Bean remained tied up in the corner, surrounded by guards, with Amy, Sonic and Tails standing by Marine and Big, with Omega also tied up. "You're CERTAIN you can decipher all the research?"

"Yes, but we can't do it here. And we certainly can't just leave Mr. Omega here either." Big added.

"Also, we need to get your girlfriend out of this hostage-" Emerl began again.

"She's NOT my girlfriend!" Sonic insisted. "She's a friend! Who's a girl!"

Everyone rolled their eyes at this, save for Amy, who blushed at Sonic, making HIM blush in return. "Anyhow, I am also to escort Marine back to Nocturne. The best bet would be to go to Nocturne in one big group and hide there."

"Woah, woah, woah!" Sonic said, making the "time out" gesture. "Hold on! You SERIOUSLY wanna take 'mega-pain-in-the-ass along with us?"

"Mr. Omega's not a bad guy!" Marine insisted, giving Sonic a good kick in the shin, making him bound up and down in pain as Omega looked on, amused at Sonic's pain.

"What about these two clowns?" One guard inquired, gesturing at the two chao as they glared over at the others.

"Kill 'em." Emerl said calmly, waving his hand in a dismissive fashion.

_**"Bum-bum-bum-YOU'RE AS COLD AS ICE**_!" Sonic sang out.

"What?" Emerl snapped.

"We can't just KILL them!" Tails insisted, quickly rushing in front of the two chao, arms held up protectively.

"Don't turn us into your charity cases." The foxy chao named Johnny mumbled, shaking his head.

"Yeah, screw you. Killin' a man ain't no big deal. Just put the gun to their head...POW." Ewan remarked coldly. "Not like we got any other choice but to accept this. Nobody's waiting for us cuz nobody knows we're still alive."

"Don't you have family? Loved ones?" Tails wanted to know, turning around to face them, looking clearly hurt by their words. Sonic knew what was happening and sighed, looking away.

"Of course. But we "died in a car accident" according to the official reports. We can't ever see them again."

"Then you don't want to go back to normal."

Well, THAT did it. The two chao gave Tails a furious, baleful look, their fur bristling like they were cats being startled. "ARE YOU HIGH?" They shouted.

"Of COURSE we wanna go back to normal!" Johnny snarled.

"Why would we NOT wanna go back to normal?" Ewan snapped.

Tails promptly poked Johnny in the forehead. BINK.

"There's your answer. Don't just give up hope simply because it's "too hard" or because it seems impossible. No matter how long it might take, no matter how many twists and turns the road you're on will throw at you, don't..."

He poked Johnny again. BINK.

"Give..."

BINK.

"Up."

BINK.

"...wh-what the hell would you know anyhow?" Johnny mumbled. "These bodies-"

"I know all too well. Look." Tails said, slipping his rings off, exposing his true, doll-esque form as the chao gaped in surprise, along with Marine. Emerl sighed in a fashion that seemed almost sad as Big shook his head mournfully.

Then Marine promptly GLOMPED Tails hard and hugged him tightly. "You! Are! So! CUUUTE!" She cooed happily. "Oooh, ya smell like oranges!" She laughed happily. "BONZAH! Why didn't you take those things off sooner, mate?"

"See? Look what I've turned into. But I'm not giving up hope because I have people who care about me and who don't mind what I look like. I'm still me underneath it all, and my feelings remain the same." Tails told them as Marine proceeded to "bong" the hanging gem atop of Tails's head, making it bob up and down like a lure.

"...well, I think we've all learned a LOT today." Nack said, clapping his hands together and giving them a sort of smarmy smile. "But we need to get going. Like, NOW."

"How? In case you've forgotten, Bean and his other cronies are still outside. And I don't think Bark can keep him occupied forever. He only has so much booze." Emerl insisted.

"_**Nobody knooooo-HIC!" **_Bean and Bark had their arms slung over each other's shoulders and were dancing on top of one of the cars, holding up "Jagermeisters" and singing raucously...and very, very off-key. _**"How dry I yam! How-dry-I-yaaaaam!"**_

"From what I've been following of your conversation, there are tunnels all through Mobius that are meant to form some kind of big circle that some creep named Void wants set up. What do you think the odds are that there's a tunnel entrance right beneath this old base?" Nack inquired.

**SFX: Hallelujah! Hallelujah!**

"I KNEW there was a reason we kept you around!" Omega commented happily.

"That's BRILLIANT!" Marine agreed.

"Let's see that map. From the direction the tunnel beneath Nocturne went in...yes...yes, following that path it DOES go right under this old base! In fact, we're standing right over it right now! And if it keeps going in a straight line, it'll lead us right back to Briggs!" Emerl said, looking over a map, quite pleased with this new turn of events.

"But what to do about our dear friends and their friend who happens to be a girl?" Big wanted to know, gesturing at Sonic, Tails and Amy.

"Yeah, Bean's a lot of things. He has an explosive personality-"

"Don't. Just...don't." Omega requested of Nack.

"...he isn't STUPID. He gets one whiff of us trying to pull one over on him, our ass is grass." Nack explained, shaking his head.

"I have an idea. What if Omega took me as a hostage, ran off with me, and you guys all ran off after him to try and stop him?" Amy suggested, holding a finger up in the air.

"Y-you wanna...Ames, we can't let you DO that!" Sonic insisted, grabbing ahold of Amy's shoulders. "You could get really-"

SLAP!

A sharp slap across the face and Sonic was now holding a sore cheek as Amy lowered her hand. "Say that again and I'll give you another "present". Sonic, I'm involved in this, whether you like it or NOT. So stop trying to save your damsel in distress and let me handle this." She admonished him.

"...god...damn it." Sonic mumbled, going over to Omega and quickly breaking the bonds off of him. "You try anything funny and I'll put my foot so far up your metallic ass your breath will smell like SNEAKER."

"I don't BREATHE."

**"Stop ruinin' my threats with your logic!"** Sonic snapped.

"Let us help too." Ewan spoke up. "Frankly, you guys are much nicer than Bean. And...well, we think he'd blow us up for funsies if he ever got the inkling."

"...can't argue with that." Emerl remarked.

...

...

...

... "Have you been DRINKIN'?" Sonic asked Bean as he leaned against a nearby car, Bark nonchalantly scratching his beer gut, downing another Jagermeister.

"...I'm not DRUNK." Bean mumbled, scratching his head, letting out a liquidy burp.

"You...IDIOT!" Sonic snapped, grabbing him by the arms and shaking him rapidly. "How could you let this happen?"

"Let what happen?" Bean inquired, looking confused.

A moment later the top of the building that Sonic and the others had been in promptly EXPLODED in a powerful blaze of black/purple energy, a tower of smoke rising up into the sky to envelop everything as Omega's form appeared silhouetted against the smoke...Amy hanging limply over his shoulder.

"LET THAT HAPPEN!" Sonic roared as Tails approached as well, giving Bean a furious glare. Maybe it was the fact that it was getting hotter and hotter outside or maybe it was the idea of leaving Amy in the hands of Omega, but he wasn't truly acting...his anger was genuine.

Tails shoved Bean hard in the chest. "You were supposed to keep an eye on her and keep an eye out for Omega, and you failed! GLORIOUSLY!"

"Feeling nostalgic, Bean the Dynamite?" Omega called out, a vaguely contemptuous tone lingering in the air. "It was the other way around when we first me. Oh how time flies..."

"...don't...you...look...down...on me." Bean hissed furiously, a dark, snarling glint entering his eyes. He held one hand up, but Emerl quickly grabbed it. "What the hell do you think you're doing, Shanazaran?"

"Are you insane? You can't blow up that girl just to get at Omega!" Emerl admonished him.

"You try that and I'll punch your beak in." Sonic promised, holding up his fist, electrical energy sparkling around it as Bean gave him a glare.

The **Dynamite Metallurgist **quickly turned to his guards, giving them a "get a move on" look as he held his head, shaking it back and forth, trying to regain his bearings as Omega quickly leapt through the air, aiming to land on another roof...letting his hand shoot towards them for a moment.

THUDDA-BWOOOOOM! An enormous blast of dark energy obstructed their view. Obstructed it long enough for Omega to be long gone by the time the dark smoke cleared, leaving a fuming mad Bean standing in the middle...

Now very, very sober.

...

...

...

... "It shouldn't take us long to reach the exit if we follow this tunnel." Nack said, leading them all down the enormous underground hallway, Omega's distraction having done it's job. He felt very, very smug right now: HE'D come up with the way to escape when nobody else had known what to do.

Amy, Big and Marine were all together, Marine's pet koala sitting atop her head as Omega stood nearby with the two chao, a visibly saddened look on Marine's face. Big, seeing her unhappy expression, turned to gently pat her atop her head. "Marine, what's wrong?" He asked gently.

"It's...I've been away from home for so long...and I don't know if I'll ever be able to get back." She mumbled. "And I feel ashamed that I was even THINKING about making a Chaos Emerald. I...I couldn't sacrifice an innocent person for something like that, it wouldn't be right..." She murmured, head lowered in shame. "And even if I did bring one back, it would be made from innocent souls. The Metatron would be DISGUSTED with such a thing if he knew what went int making one."

"Yes, it would be an awful 'gift'." Amy admitted. "But don't worry. Like Tails said, don't give up."

"Yes, we'll keep movin' forward and find another way." Big agreed. "The research notes that Omega's brother Gamma wrote about are filled with all sorts of new knowledge. I can't wait to get crackin', see what's inside!"

Elsewhere, Sonic, Tails, Emerl and Bark were holed up with Bean and his other cronies inside of an abandoned lounge room that was connected to an old command center of the base as the sun began to beam down overhead, a sizzling noise filling the air as the temperature began to slowly rise higher and higher. The two other odd guards that he had were talking with each other about Johnny and Ewan's disappearance.

"How come they haven't reported in?"

"I don't know, Leigh. Did you try their cell phone?" The lion asked.

The elephant sighed and rolled his eyes. "I didn't forget to call their cell phones, Shiki-"

_**Don't be fooled by the rocks that I got! I'm still-I'm still Jenny from the block!**_

The elephant blinked stupidly, picking up his cell phone from his pants. "...oh. Speaking of calls, you guys have a call from Nocturne." He said, handing his cell phone to Emerl as Bean sat in a chair nearby, fuming furiously, drawing a picture of Omega.

"Quick question. Does Napalm come out of the BACK of a plane or the bottom?" He asked Shiki.

"...uhhhhh..."

Emerl took the cell phone in his hands. "Hello? Yes...WHAT?" He gasped. He quickly turned the cell phone off, taking Sonic and Tails into the next room "Listen." He whispered quietly. "Shade was just called off to Central, and a large number of Central troops just arrived at Nocturne. Most likely this means that the others will sneak into Nocturne and find themselves caught by one of Dr. Eggman's flunkies."

"We've got to get out there and warn them!" Sonic insisted.

"How? Does your cell phone have any reception?" Emerl inquired.

Sonic checked his phone. Nope. Tails checked HIS phone. Nope.

"Dammit. Dollars to doughnuts, that stupid elephant's got the ONE working cell phone down here, and if we try to use that, Bean will get suspicious." Emerl mumbled. "And worse still, look outside."

They looked out the window at the baking heat as Emerl shook his head. "I would go out to intercept them if I could, but I can't bring myself to abandon my men here to...to that PERSON. And I use the term "person" loosely." Emerl added softly. "And I KNOW what you're thinking." He added, holding up his hands as Sonic began to open his mouth. "But you'd be baked alive out there. The weather up here is unforgiving be it rain or shine, and when it gets this hot, any sapient who doesn't go out there with SPF 1 Million is going to get turned into a **crispy critter**."

"Well, I don't get sunburned." Tails spoke up nervously. "...I could go." He offered.

And so, Tails was soon sneaking out the window, slinking from building to building to avoid being seen, crawling on his belly like a snake before he finally reached the edge of the base. Then he ran as fast as he could, his tails acting as a kind of gigantic fan that propelled him across the ground. He had to get to Nocturne before they did...

Rolling hills repeatedly passed by him as he raced up towards Nocturne, the sun continuing to beat down on him. He was glad he couldn't get sunburnt or really harmed by such a thing, but it was so hot he almost DID feel-

The sun...it was so...so bright...so-

He looked into it and suddenly he was no longer in the mountains near Nocturne. He was surrounded on all sides by brilliant, calming white light which filled his vision, and his body was not standing on a mountain but standing before an enormous door with beautiful, ornate designs on the front. There were dozens of languages written on the bottom that seemed to repeat a single phrase: "I am All, All are One".

And there was somebody there. . A very gaunt-looking, emaciated, bad-smelling form with unkempt fur and beautiful blue eyes...his true body was staring right at him, reaching out...

Tails tried to take it's hand...

And suddenly he was aware that he was lying on the ground, nearly unconscious. Letting out a small groan, he tried to stand back up, rubbing his head. What had happened?

_Scylla sat near her old body, which appeared to be unconscious...or worse. Rouge looked the scene over, looking rather surprised...and disgusted at the foul smell the body was giving off._

_"Look how decayed my old form's gotten. The simple truth is this: it's just plain impossible to permanently stick a soul into a body that doesn't belong to it. They'll repel each other like magnets." Scylla spoke solemnly._

He'd almost forgotten. The body he was in wasn't a natural one. One day he would just...poof.

And that day was coming soon, apparently. So soon that his true body was actually calling out from "beyond the grave" to reach his soul. How existential!

...how frightening.

He had to hurry.

...

...

...

...meanwhile, Void was at an artist's easel, calmly painting something onto an enormous canvas as a certain snake sapient who wasn't quite a snake sapient sat nearby, balancing a scimitar on one finger. The former divine being calmly whistled as his paintbrush made broad, powerful strokes on the canvas, color splashed on the page in brilliant hues.

"Little Olgilvie...young Miles...my "sister", NiGHTS...then there's their teacher, Tikal Nuahatl, she's got the "right stuff". Hmm."

Void stepped away from the picture, looking it over as it showed all of the foursome chained to a giant Stonehenge-esque structure that seemed to be rising into the sky...with room for one more clearly visible on said structure as Void's presence lingered overhead, so enormously huge that he looked like he was the universe himself.

"...I need one more." Void whispered quietly, rubbing his chin. "I must find somebody..."

Elsewhere, Sonic was listening to Bark talk about Bean. "Am knowing how his Metallurgy works, is not using specific element so much as MUTATING elements around him. He is changing the composition of the environment into explosive devices like namesake, eh?"

"So we just need to break his rings." Sonic said. "...or rather, that would be what I'd NORMALLY do, but he ALSO has a friggin' Chaos Emerald with him, the one he tempted me with earlier at the base." The hedgehog added, shaking his head.

"So we gotta get that rock away from him."

"It's not always in a "rock" form." Sonic admitted. "It could be a liquid, or some kind of powder...point is, you're right, we DO need to steal it away and fast. It's large enough to fit in your hand, but big enough, usually, to be visible if it was in his pocket or-"

Sonic scrunched his nose up. "Don't tell me he's keeping it in his..."

They thought about it. Really thought about it.

"**EWWWWWWWW!**"

...

...

...

...

"Why, Major Shade, what's your plan? What brings you here to Central?" Shadow inquired as he stood in the doorway of the main entrance to Central HQ , seeing Shade being escorted up the steps.

Shade snorted. "I'm surprised you're surprised. I'm here on my talent, **Burning Metallurgist**." She informed him, giving him a proud smile.

"The same goes for me." Shadow added, visibly arching towards her, a glint entering his eyes. "I didn't pull a single string. I'm just that good."

"Oh yeah?" She said.

"Oh YEAH." said he.

"Oh yeah?" She said.

"Oh YEAH." said he.

"Oh yeah?"

"Oh YEAH!"

"Oh yeah?"

"Oh YEAH!"

"Oh yeah?"

"Oh YEAH!"

"**Oh yeah?"**

**"Oh YEAH!"**

These two always had such intelligent conversations. ^_^

"Anyhow..." Shadow went on, walking alongside her as they headed through Central towards Dr. Eggman's main office. "Perhaps you'd like me to drop off a giftbasket for you? A welcoming present since you're so new to Central?"

"...since you're payin'..." Shade commented, waving her hand dismissively, though she had a feeling this 'gift basket' had more than one purpose. Shadow turned a corner, heading off in a new direction as Shade was led to Dr. Eggman's door. She calmly strode in, closing the door behind her as the autocrat folded his hands together, his goggles glittering in the dimly lit room.

"Soooo..." He whispered. "Would you be so kind, Major General Shade, as to tell me what happened to General Speedy Kukku?"

Shade could tell that the autocrat wouldn't buy any stupid excuse on how the general had had an "accident". "Well, sir, that's simple. I did some thinking and I decided that you really didn't need another kiss-ass yes man on your team. You don't make peace with a pest. You eliminate them."

"And you gave the order?"

"Oh, I did more than gave the order. I kicked him into a pit full of cement. He's roughly...oh..." Shade waved her hand in the air in a "This and that" fashion. "20 feet below under 2 tons of hard-drying cement."

"And what, pray tell, did the General tell you?"

"Everything." Shade said simply. "All about the Golems, all about the "immortal army", about the future of the country, even your true identity. And he did it with RELISH."

"And yet you stand before me unafraid. You have nerve. And **GIRL BALLS**." He added, with a dark, evil grin. "I LIKE that." He told her.

"I want his seat as General." Shade said simply. "Gimme."

"...heh-heh-heh-heh...MWA-HA-HA-HA-HA!" Dr. Eggman threw his head back, laughing uproariously as he stood up, rubbing his gloved hands together. "Excellent, EXCELLENT! You may have your seat, Shade. In exchange, you will give me complete control of Nocturne. "Equivalent Exchange", correct?"

"Right answer." Shade said. "My men are more than capable of following your commands. They're, quite simply, the best."

"That too is the right answer." Dr. Eggman said, walking over to the echidna, putting one hand on her shoulder, removing his goggles with the other to reveal his inhuman eyes. "I think you and I are going to be very...close...friends."

As for Shadow, he was sitting in the cafeteria with Rouge, talking about his progress in chaos energy.

"You seem to be quite proficient now." Rouge noticed as Shadow made a tiny spark of chaos energy dance around his palm in a circle. "I'm very h-happy for you." She mumbled.

Shadow instantly picked up on this. "What happened?" He asked quietly. "Something wrong?"

"...nah. Ain't nothin' big." Rouge insisted. "Just life, y'know?" She added, shrugging slightly before she lifted up her cup of coffee to her lips, taking a long, deep slurp. "How have you been doing on your paperwork?"

"...I hate it. Immensely." Shadow admitted, holding up a large, thick manila folder and slamming it down onto the table. "Now that I've not got as many subordinates, this means I have to waste a good three hours of my night doing THESE." He muttered hatefully, flipping the folder open and gesturing at the papers.

"I have much to do now myself. Luckily, since Dr. Eggman never leaves work early and always works so hard, he's usually of great help. A real professional. Whodathunkit?"

"...is that a crack at ME?" Shadow wanted to know.

Rouge gave him a playful smile. "Maaaaybe." She commented, rolling her eyes suggestively. "You're a clever boy, you can see the double meaning in every double entendre I give."

Shadow saw something in her eyes in that instant and took out a pen, putting one of the papers on it's back side so he could write. "I'm flattered you think so highly of me."

"You know, I've been following a lot of gossip." Rouge added. "Cream's supposedly taking dance lessons. Ballet. And so is Hector from accounting, and Ethel and Earl are finally dating. And so are Simon and Elly."

"Oh, really?" Shadow commented.

"And Isabella and Sandy have planned their wedding in the Fall...or rather, that WAS the plan, but Anna's pissed off. She said it'll take attention away from hers."

"Hmm...poor thing."

"Yes, she's marrying Gary the janitor. Don't know what he sees in him. But Olie and Lena, our foreign exchange colonels are doing well in their positions and they sent me fruitbaskets, and Erin and Meredith are really helping me with what gruntwork I can't figure out on my own." Rouge added with a cheerful smile. "I should buy them something nice."

"Well, I'd better let you get BACK to that work." Shadow said, nodding firmly and leaving the cafeteria with his paperwork, heading for the bathroom and rushing into a stall, looking down at the letters he had just written on the paper.

All those names had been part of a code. Put them in order...

C-H-E-E-S-E...then I-S-A...then G-O-L-E-M.

"Cheese is a Golem?" Shadow thought to himself, his eyes wide with surprise before he quickly ripped the paper to shreds and flushed the remains down the toilet. Well, well. Wasn't THIS an interesting turn of events...

Meanwhile, a certain lizard-like chao was watching some of Dr. Eggman's goons speak with an assistant to Ms. Tikal Nuahatl. "I don't know where they went, sir. She and her father went on vacation. Ms. Nuahatl said she was taking her father to the Swiss Alps "for the air"."

"You're positive? Dr. Eggman would be very...displeased...if you were lying." One of the men told the assistant.

"Egghead." Dodger the chao growled. "That monster practically SLAUGHTERED Mr. White...if I follow them..." He thought to himself.

Speaking of Mr. White, King/White was watching Void lie fast asleep at his desk, loudly snoring as Cheese stood nearby, smiling. "Awwww, he looks so CUTE when he's asleep." Cheese told King/White as the newest of all the Golems nodded, the snake's once-blue hair now turned a very strong white. "What do you think he's a-dreamin' about?"

"I wonder..." Cheese commented, rubbing his chin, an amused expression coming across his features.


	35. Eternal and Heroic Courage

_Science centers around explaining how the world works in terms that all can find common._

_Faith is about explaining WHY the world works in terms one cannot ignore._

_The two are rarely compatible. And Magic's foundation is found in faith. The elements of the world, the manipulation of time and space, the healing of any and all wounds, these are possible with magic, as long as you remember..._

_All magic has a price._

_Nothing...is free..._

**Episode Thirty-Four:**

**永遠の勇気と英雄****!**

**Eternal and Heroic Courage!**

"I want you two to search that tunnel." Bean informed his two other personal guards, a lion sapient and an elephant sapient. "Don't forget." He added, looking over at Leigh, the elephant. "You're to wait for my signal."

"Yes, sir." "Yes, sir." The two said at the same time, snapping into a salute before running off into a nearby tunnel as Sonic approached Bean from behind, a nervous expression on his face. He really, really hoped that Bean wasn't actually-

"Well, good to see you've shown up." Bean commented, turning his head slightly and giving Sonic a bit of a smirk. "I knew you'd come eventually though."

"Something on your mind?" Sonic inquired, folding his arms, tapping his foot against the ground in an impatient manner. "The only reason I'm putting up with you is that Chaos Emerald of yours. I want it to-"

"Don't you play the slippery eel with me, hedgehog." Bean laughed. "I can tell you're stalling for time. Let me guess...snipers are getting into position even as we speak?" Bean inquired, whipping around and spreading his arms wide.

"...what...tipped you off?" Sonic murmured, frowning a bit.

Bean shrugged nonchalantly, waving a finger in the air. "I can feel the electric energy of people who wanna blow s—t up filling the area. I know from personal experience how that feels." He added cheerily.

"Yeah, you **would**..." Sonic muttered, clenching his fist as lightning began to sparkle around it, his eyes narrowing.

"Please tell me you have a shot." Emerl asked calmly.

"I CAN'T do this." Bark insisted, shaking his head back and forth before he lowered the rifle from within their hiding position some distance away, hiding behind a large stack of boxes. "Just can't."

"Grow a pair, dude!"

"Beany's my **best** friend!" Bark insisted.

"FORGET Johnny-I mean Beany." Emerl snapped as Bean smirked broadly.

Too late for any shooting, unfortunately. Before Sonic could make a move, Bean had snapped his fingers, firing off an explosion not of flame and fire but of fog and gas. A smokescreen began to fill the whole area, causing Sonic to gag and gasp, staggering back as Emerl clenched his fist angrily. "Darn it, now we don't have a shot!"

"You dirty, rotten cheatin'-" Sonic began to say...just before a clawed fist almost tore into his head. Sonic leapt backwards through the air, taking up a fighting position as the smoke cleared slightly to reveal two chao. One had a thick, lion-like mane of hair atop his head with glittering black eyes, sharp claws jutting out from his "arms", whilst the other, a clearly elephantine being, waved it's trunk in the air as it flexed powerful muscles for one so...well...

"...uhhh...I don't think I can feel proud about fighting with you two." Sonic said nervously, pointing down at the two shorty-short-shortsters, shaking his head back and forth as the two-foot-tall chao angrily glared at him.

Bean laughed, high and hysterical, as he entered the tunnel, Sonic looking over in his direction. "HEY! Get back here you!" Sonic roared out, taking a step forward only to have the elephant blow a sharp, powerful blast of wind magic in his direction. Sonic barely managed to duck in time to avoid the greenish energy blast that sailed over his head...

Unfortunately he didn't manage to escape the lion, which suddenly jumped forward, an enormous metallic sheathe of armor covering his body as he reached out with his arms, pinning Sonic to the ground, baring his fangs. "Give it up! You cannot beat Leigh and I! You've got no advantages over us!"

"Oh YEAH?" Sonic laughed, placing one hand on the chao's arm, lightning crackling around his fingertips.

The lion was blown backwards with a peal of thunder as Sonic grinned cockily, clenching his fists in the air as he took up a fighting position. "Put 'em up, slowpoke!" He laughed.

"Put em up? Nah, I'm thinkin' "Yo Ho Blow the Man DOWN"!" The elephant roared, as he opened his mouth and let out an enormous bellow, a sonic wave shooting through the air from his ringed trunk, slamming into Sonic and sending him flying through the air. Sonic went sailing right into an empty warehouse, crashing into a large amount of unused supplies which would have created an excellent production of the classic broadway musical "My Fair Lady".

On the bright side though, he DID happen to find a certain costume which he knew would be of use. Smirking broadly to himself, grateful he'd landed in the old storage warehouse and not questioning why there was such an emphasis on community theater in the military, he quickly put on the costume before him as Emerl, Bark and several other guards enetered the warehouse from the back door, having seen the whole thing.

"Can you guys get some props ready?" Sonic asked, giving them a grin.

FIVE MINUTES LATER...

Shiki and Leigh stormed around the streets, looking around for Sonic. Where had that little pest gone off to? They should have paid better attention to where he'd landed...

It was then that they heard...odd...music.

bBGM: Crocodile Hunter Theme/b

"Now we've got ourselves here one HECK of a lion and an elephant! A fiiiine pair ah animals!" "Steve Irwin" said, kneeling down by a stupefied Shiki and Leigh as a camera crew surrounded them, capturing everything on film. "But not just ANY pair of animals. Real-live-CHAO, mate! So you gotta be careful, cuz they'll take your 'and off fastah than you can say "Slather me Billabong"!"

"...uhhhhhhh..." Shiki mumbled.

Sonic lifted Shiki into the air, taking a whiff of him. "PHEW! The smell's '**orrific**!"

Leigh sniggered, but then Sonic, aka "Steve Irwin" put Shiki down, adjusted the khaki outfit he wore, and picked HIM up, smirking. "See this 'ere chao? Now I'm gonna take mah hand and shove it right up it's butthole!"

"**AAAAAAAAHHH!"**

"Don't worry little guys, once the fist's all the way in, you won't even feel the arm." Emerl said nonchalantly, his face an expression of pure pleasantness.

...

...

...

... Bean poked his head out of the tunnel, blinking in surprise as he saw the unconscious, foaming-at-the-mouth-with-looks-of-horror-on-their-faces chao. "...what did you DO to them?" Bean inquired as Sonic nonchalantly took off the last of the outfit, a pair of thick boots.

"I watched "Crocodile Hunter" all the time on Animal Planet." Sonic said proudly. "Got hooked on Irwin immediately."

"So, the second you believe the hostage to be safe, you decide to play the hero." Bean commented, tilting his head to the side slightly. "...yeah, that sounds about right for you."

"Hostage or not, you just piss me off." Sonic said, resuming a fighting position, lightning sparkling from his eyes, his fur momentarily turning gold. "How about spilling your guts on what you know of the Golems and their plans?"

"What kind of Bond Villain do you think I AM?" Bean laughed, reaching behind his back and-

**AND NOW A BRIEF AUTHOR'S NOTE.**

...sorry folks. I can't describe just what Bean did. Don't blame me, blame the FCC, which stands for **bleep**ing **bleep-**blocking **bleep-bleep**ers!

**WE NOW RETURN YOU TO YOUR REGULARILY-SCHEDULED STORY.**

"...that was so wrong...on SO many levels. What ELSE do you keep in there?" Sonic managed to gasp out, finally screwing his jaw back into place.

"Money...my neighbor's cat...matches...lots of handi-wipes..." Bean commented nonchalantly, wiping off the chaos emerald in his now-diseased gloved hands.

But Sonic had not gotten his name for nothing. In an instant he was in Bean's face, fist rising up as Bean gasped. "He's-"

THA-BLAM!

"Fast."

WOOSH! The chaos emerald went spiraling through the air, crashing through a window as Bean tried to snap his fingers, clap his hands, ANYTHING to generate a kind of explosion, but Sonic's sudden and swift flurry of punches continued to knock him off-balance and he finally spiraled backwards as Sonic's electrically-charged fists slammed into the rings around Bean's wrist.

KRUCKA-CRACK! They both shattered into pieces, falling to the floor as Sonic smirked broadly. "HA! No Chaos Emerald, you can't do your Metallurgy without the rings-"

"So you think I'm BEATEN...right?" Bean whispered, a dark glint entering his eyes as Sonic realized the horrible duck was grinning in a twisted, sociopathic fashion, bouncing back and forth on the heels of his feet. "Don't get me wrong...the resolve not to kill, it's very courageous and touching." Bean admitted. "But to follow that policy around somebody like me..."

Bean waved a finger in the air. "Foolish...that naivity...not even THINKING that I might have another chaos emerald..." Bean laughed coldly, sticking out his tongue...revealing that he'd embedded the chaos emerald into his own tongue as a STUD.

"Ohhhhhh hell." Sonic gulped as Bean snapped his fingers, a piece of plastique popping into midair as Sonic desperately tried to run.

**KRAKKA-KROOOOOM!**

The explosion that the psychopathic duck caused rippled through the air, shattering the walls nearby and launching Sonic and the two chao through the air in a rippling shockwave, Sonic letting out a pained, heart-wrenching scream as something shot through his body and embedded deep inside...

A moment later, he struck his head upon something hard...

And remembered nothing more.

...

...

...

...the two chao, Leigh and Shiki, managed to crawl to their feet, groaning in pain as Shiki dusted himself off. "Ugh...you dead, man?" Leigh asked Shiki.

"Yeah...I'm dead." Shiki commented, rolling his eyes as he and Leigh crawled through the rubble that surrounded them, heading in the direction of the smell of-

Blood. Yes, it was unmistakably blood. And once they realized who was bleeding, their eyes widened in horror.

Sonic had been slammed onto a pipe that had been blown out of the wall. The pipe was now sticking through his side, his lifeblood drizzling to the ground like thick red syrup as his breath came in pained, ragged gasps. Sonic tried to get to his feet, but he collapsed back down on his knees, letting out another harsh scream, finally falling to his hands, blood dripping out from his mouth.

"...got...to...get...UP!" He growled, clenching his fists into the ground. "Can't...make them...cry over me..."

Shiki and Leigh nervously looked at each other, then rubbed the back of their heads.

"You're not just gonna let 'im die like that, are you?" A soft, gentle voice echoed through their heads.

POOF! It was then that two tiny little mini-thems appeared on their shoulders. One, an eeny-weeny little lion with a tiny harp, the other a itsty-bitsy elephant which was holding onto some kind of scroll. Both of these charming little figures had halos, wings, and, of course, a snazzy white robe.

"My shoulder angel!" "My shoulder angel!" The two cried out.

"Are they seeing...what I THINK they're seeing?" Sonic mumbled to himself as the lion and the elephant looked at their respective right shoulders. "...oh dear Lord my life is in the hands of the guys who just had my fingers up their-"

"Don't listen to that guy!" Another voice, one more grating and annoying, snapped out as the lion and the elephant chao turned their heads to the left to see two devil-like figures, complete with tiny horns, a tail, and yes, one even had a pitchfork. The other had an accordion for some strange, strange reason.

"My shoulder devil!" "My shoulder devil!" Leigh and Shiki cried out.

"He's tryin' to lead ya down the path 'o righteousness, dude." The lion-devil commented.

"We'll lead ya down the path that ROCKS." The elephant-devil said.

"Oh, come off it!" The lion-angel snapped.

"You're going to take spiritual advice from a person who's idea of "roasting weenies over a fire" means suspending 10-year-old nerds over a fiery pit?" The elephant-angel demanded.

"Shut up!" The lion-devil snapped.

"YOU shut up!" The lion-angel snarled.

"Look, big guy, I've got THREE good reasons why you should just walk away and leave the hedgehog to die." The elephant-devil insisted, holding up the accordion. "And I'm gonna sing them to you...in SOOOOONG!"

The elephant flicked the little devil away off his shoulder as the elephant-angel grinned broadly, doing a cheerleader-style dance on the elephant's shoulder as the lion-devil gulped. "Well? YOU wanna try your luck?" The lion-angel asked.

"Well...look at this guy!" The lion-devil said to Shiki, gesturing at the little angel. "He's wearing a DRESS!"

"It's a ROBE!" The lion-angel said, tears springing in his eyes. "A **ROBE**!"

"Reason number two. Look what I can do!" The lion-devil said, getting on his butt and spreading out his legs.

"...there is something about a man who can lick his own back." Shiki commented.

"...what am I supposed to say to that?" The lion-angel mumbled.

"...you're right, this is confusing. Look, uh, begone!" Shiki demanded. "I'll figure this out on my own."

POOF! The two little figures were gone from his shoulder as the little angel disappeared from the elephant's shoulder. "So we help him?" Leigh asked.

"We help him." Shiki said, the two chao approaching Sonic and kneeling by him, the lion-chao resting Sonic against his chest as the elephant-chao gripped the pipe.

"Okay...pull the...the thing out...out of my side...and...and I'll try and...try and b-burn the wound sh-shut...with some f-flame metallurgy the-the way Shadow said he did." Sonic managed to gasp out.

"You could end up KILLING yourself. The shock might be too much." The elephant thought out loud.

"MIGHT." Sonic mumbled.

The lion nervously nodded at the elephant, getting a good, firm grip on Sonic as Leigh grit his teeth...

With a THWOOSHA-SCHLUCK, Leigh pulled the pipe out in a single yank, Sonic quickly placing one hand against the wound, concentrating as a burning flame surged forth to graft the wound shut. The pain was excruciating, a feeling like somebody was trying to close up the wound by shoving a red-hot-poker into his body filling Sonic's frame...but he held tough. A moment later...

...the pain was slowly numbing...the wound closed...he was breathing normally again.

"You dead, man?" Shiki asked.

"...yeah...I'm dead." Sonic wisecracked, getting to his feet. "...this...this isn't gonna be enough...I think I might have some internal bleeding." He added, gritting his teeth as the lion-esque chao slowly transformed back into his sapient form, picking Sonic back up and resting him on his back.

"Relax, I'll be your legs until we find you a doctor." Shiki insisted.

"...mane...suffocating..." Sonic commented. "Yet...so cool."

"I know, right? King of the Jungle, baby!" Shiki said, flexing his arms for a moment before realizing he was about to drop Sonic back on the ground, thus re-opening the wound.

"F-follow...follow after Bean, everyone's..." Sonic mumbled out before he finally faded into unconsciousness, his head flopping into the lion's mane as the elephant-chao transformed back into HIS sapient self.

"Can you believe it? Even after he got his ass kicked he STILL wants to follow after Bean? He's one brave hog." Leigh commented, taking a few steps forward...suddenly noticing something sparkling on the ground. "What the?" He reached down, picking up the shining object, gasping. "Th-this is the...the..."

...

...

...

...meanwhile, Tails had, finally, made it to the others, and he soon found himself being carried in the arms of a VERY giddy Marine the Raccoon as Amy, Omega, Big and the other two chao headed down a backwoods path, Nack bringing up the rear, nervously looking around for any sign of enemies, a sniper rifle in his gloved hands...knees knocking together in fear.

"Ughhhhh..." Tails moaned as they finally reached a small town, setting up shop inside a barn. "I'm sorry, I keep...blacking out." He apologized. "I keep seeing my body, my REAL body. This is the second time today."

"That's a bad sign." Big admitted. "I mean REAL bad. Your spirit probably can't take much more o' this."

"I don't think **I** can take much more of this." Johnny the chao muttered.

"Yeah, we're all scattered around trying to escape from the bad guys and no closer to figuring out these research notes." Amy said, handing the research notes back to Omega, the robot sighing slightly as he poured through the pages.

"...scattered...around..." Marine murmured, her eyes suddenly getting a bright twinkle to them. What if...

She quickly snatched the research notes out of Omega's clawed hands, and began ripping the pages out of the book quick as lightning, the others gaping in surprise. "What're you DOING, kid?" Nack exclaimed in horror.

"Those are important documents!" Omega growled. "What do you intend to-"

"LOOK!" Marine insisted, picking up two sheets of paper. "There's a LOT of stuff in these notes 'bout power 'n the Heavens n' lotsa strange phrases. Why don't we try seperatin' all these here pages, then try groupin' together ones that got similar stuff in them?"

"...okay...let's try that!" Big said, getting on his now-skinny knees, sorting the documents upon the ground. "Here, we'll put this talk about "God" over there with the "Heavens"...this pile will be for the whole issue of "Paradise"..."

"This one goes over with "angels"..." Amy said, getting on HER hands and knees as she helped the two sort the pages out. "...there! Now what?"

"Look at what happens when all these markings on the pages are in place." Omega said suddenly. "I thought they were just scribbles in the margins, but...but in the formation they're in, they almost look like-"

"Connect the dots, quick!" Marine said, Amy giving her a marker. She quickly connected all of the scribbles together with lines, and soon what was being formed was unmistakably some kind of language...specifically-

"He wrote this in Latin. Look what has been spelled out." Omega realized, his red eyes widening as he gestured with a claw. "It says...REVERSE..."

"...reverse...REVERSE." Tails whispered, eyes widening. "Quick, draw me a picture of the seal that's going to be on all of Mobius!" He shouted. "I've got an idea!"

...

...

...

... "Hmm." Bean commented as he calmly walked through the long, metallic hallway that made up the abandoned space station beneath Nocturne. "...easy to get lost in here." He mused to himself. "Good thing I brought a map." He added, pulling said map out from...well...you know.

He was unaware that a form was slowly rising up from behind him in the shadows, not noticing the sudden scent of cold metal that seemed to be filling the air.

"Can't be Pismo Beach. No sand. I KNEW I shoulda taken that left turn at Albuquerque." Bean wisecracked.

It was then that Bean stiffened, HEARING the sound of something grinding behind him, and he turned around, gasping in surprise at the enormous, metallic monstrosity before him, a churning, writing sea of spiked tentacles that were curling inches away from his own face, a pair of foul, orange deadlights slowly approaching from the shadows, a dark, shadowy form suspended in the air.

"So...you're **Bean the Dynamite**." A childish, sweet voice said cheerily, the form clapping it's hands together as a slow, steady NOISE began to rise up from the background, a noise of clanking and screeching and grinding of thousands of machines all working at once. "My name is **Omochao**...better known as **DESPAIR**."

"Perhaps you'd like to place an order? Unfortunately due to the Atkins Craze, we're all out of buns here at McDonalds." Bean wisecracked, folding his arms.

"Ha-ha-ha! How cute! But I'm afraid this is hardly a social call. You see, I'm aware that you WERE chasing after our little Shanazaran friend, but...well...the situation's changed. We need you to do smething." Omochao said calmly, approaching Bean and placing one hand on his cheek, giving him a friendly pat. "You're to spread bloodshed through Nocturne since young Sonic refuses to "play ball"."

"I'd like to, I reeeaaaally would." Bean admitted, taking the robotic chao's hand and removing it with a faint trace of annoyance in his words. "But those Nocturnus are strong-willed, their fortress is well-fortified...they're like Spartans. They'd sooner go down fighting using only their teeth to rip out people's throats than surrender."

"I know, and I like that about them, but, well...we have ways to deal with people like them." Omochao commented, his tentacles swirling around like a living sea of metal and mesh. "The monolithic strength they have will soon be matched. You see...the **Fanaticism** is almost fully finished with his work..."

"...oh really?" Bean inquired, looking intrigued.

"Yes. "That day" has almost arrived. The day we usher in...PARADISE." Omochao whispered.

...

...

...

... "Frere Jacques, Frere Jacques, doh-may-voo! Doh-may-voo!" A squirrel sang out, preparing a nice tray of mixed drinks for several dozen workers who were now going on their break at Knothole. It was a lot of work, repairing the damage to the library, the church, the town hall...the riots had been terrible thanks to the military's stupid mistakes, but everyone was doing their part.

Putting the last of the little umbrellas she had in the final glass, Sally Alicia Acorn headed out the door of the kitchen, bringing the drinks over to a table and setting it down with a cheery grin, bowing deeply. "I hope you guys enjoy your drinks!" She told them cheerfully, heading for the next table over, where a-

How odd. Was this being a human? No, humans had noses. And ears. And, for that matter, couldn't hover off the seat cushion like that.

"Ummmm...er...I...I, uh..." NiGHTS nervously mumbled as he looked over the menu in his hands. "I'm not quite sure what to order...I've been flying for so long I'm STARVING, but I'm also trying to watch my weight." He added.

"Oh, well in THAT case..." Sally commented, waving a hand in the air. "Get the chicken crispers. They're delicious and they're only 550 calories. Plus, it's Kosher, so..."

"Thank you!" NiGHTS said. "I'll take that then." He said as Sally took out a notepad from her vest pocket, writing down his order. "Everyone here in Knothole is so gosh-darn-cheerful!" He added with a big smile. "By the way, I'm trying to find the laboratory where Sniveley Robotnik tried to start his little scheme, could you point the way?"

"Sure." Sally told him. "It's just down the street and to your right. But nobody goes anywhere near it anymore, the place was totaled in this big fight with a Metallurgist..."

"Metallurgist, eh?"

It wasn't long before, sure enough, NiGHTS found himself in the abandoned laboratory that had once been Dr. Snively Robotnik's base. NiGHTS hovered along a metallic floor, passing by cracked capsule after cracked capsule. Each of them held the corpses of failed experiments which had died without their creator caring for them. Shaking his head sadly, NiGHTS approached a doorway, his bright blue eyes narrowing intently.

He could sense it. It was in here.

With a mighty punch, he knocked the door down, stepping into a metallic hallway, pipes lining the walls as the smell of blood slowly dripped off of them. So...this place was connected to "it" as well, NiGHTS thought to himself as he descended down deeper and deeper into dark depths, finding himself in an enormous cavern with video screens embedded in the walls. What was PLAYING on all of these screens seemed to indicate that...

"How long has he had his eye on this town?" NiGHTS murmured as he saw people walking by large buildings, sitting down in their homes...Sally taking off her vest in the women's bathroom-wait, WHAT?

"Void has cameras everywhere so as to always be one step ahead." A voice whispered, a pair of pitiless orange eyes slowly rising from the shadows above him, tentacles shooting out from all sides, embedding into the ground with a CLANG to surround NiGHTS, who calmly folded his arms, unfazed even as Omachao lowered his body down in front of him.

"But in the SHOWER?" NiGHTS inquired.

"...wemustalwaysstayonestepahead." Omachao mumbled, withdrawing his tentacles and folding his arms, eyes narrowing angrily at NiGHTS.

"Are you irritated by me showing up here?" NiGHTS inquired. "I think you know perfectly well that you can't actually kill me because your designer needs me for his plans, and you couldn't hurt me even if you TRIED." He added. "I'm just that good."

"I can see where your **son** gets it from." Omachao commented cheerily, holding his small, clawed "hand" over his mouth and giggling. "Hee-hee-hee-heee!"

"You're awfully cheery for somebody named "**Despair**"." NiGHTS mused. "That IS our name, correct?"

"Yep! I exist to give others despair. I, personally, couldn't be happier with my life!" Omachao insisted proudly, placing one hand on his chest.

"Fanaticism. Ignorance. Cruelty. Flippancy. Selfishness. Racism. Despair." NiGHTS rattled off on his hands. "The sins most tied to Faith, to Magic and to Science. I find it ironic that the foundations of logic and the emotional power have so much in common. Well, actually, I'm glad to find one of the Golems here. I want you to be a messenger boy for me." NiGHTS said, patting Omochao on the cheek before striding off. "Tell him that his big sister is comin' back to give him the spanking he so needs. I'm not afraid of him. "

"...declaring war, huh?" Omochao murmured. "...intriguing. Well...you're not the only one, "uncle dearest"..."

At Nocturne, Emerl and Bark adjusted their binoculars, scarcely able to believe what they were seeing. "They must be joking." Emerl mumbled.

"So much for nonaggression treaty." Bark added.

Hundreds upon HUNDREDS of troops lining up by dozens of tanks were moving up the hills towards Nocturne, finally declaring open hostilities. As the troops of Nocturne quickly moved into their defensive positions, Bark's eyes narrowed behind his binoculars. "Emerl. Look. Adjust vision to 11:00." He whispered.

Emerl turned his binoculars to the left slightly, growling angrily as he noticed the enormous, tightly-bundled-up shark commander, none other than Bruce himself, who was standing by Bean and smirking broadly, though not quite as smugly as the duck.

"Excellent job on providing the intelligence we needed for this attack on the traitorous Nocturne station. They'll soon regret seeking to defy us in open revolt. It's time we gave them a spanking for acting so high and mighty." Bruce laughed. "I don't mind telling you I've grown tired of their reputation."

"This...shall be interesting." Bean commented, putting a match in his beak and nonchalantly tossing a small, round, black bomb up and down.

Elsewhere, Ewan the Chao was standing by himself on the outskirts of the town that Tails and the thers were hiding in. Whilst THEY were busy mingling with the townsfolk and relaxing, he had a very important call to make.

"You're POSITIVE it's them? And that Big the Cat is with him?" Metal Sonic commented softly, holding the payphone up to his "ears".

"Absolutely, sir."

"Well-well-WELL. This really is quite to our advantage." Metal said cheerily. "...I'll be right up then. Do keep them busy for me, chao." Metal said darkly, and had he a tongue, he would have used them to lick the lips he also lacked.

**Author's Note:**

**I am SO sorry I haven't updated in a while. I've been busy with school. Finals are fast approaching, you see. Hopefully you'll enjoy this chapter though! :)  
**


	36. Payback is a Bitch!

_Science centers around explaining how the world works in terms that all can find common._

_Faith is about explaining WHY the world works in terms one cannot ignore._

_The two are rarely compatible. And Magic's foundation is found in faith. The elements of the world, the manipulation of time and space, the healing of any and all wounds, these are possible with magic, as long as you remember..._

_All magic has a price._

_Nothing...is free..._

**Episode Thirty-Five:**

**復讐は雌犬です!**

**Payback is a Bitch!**

"Amazing." Emerl remarked in awe as he clapped his hands happily, standing atop the majestic Nocturne fortress with Bark and the others of the base, the barrage that had been levied at the forces of Central having finally finished. "Even without Shade here, it's good to see how monolithically impressive our defensive forces truly are."

Bruce stood alone in the middle of a horror show that was the field of battle. There was not a single Central Soldier left. Not a single tank that wasn't in ten million pieces. Every piece of weaponry, every limb from a body, EVERYTHING but he...and Bean, who nonchalantly lit a pipe off of the burning corpse of a mallard duck sapient draped over a wrecked cannon...was ripped apart.

"We've...lost?" Bruce gasped.

"Well, look at it the bright side."

"...bright...side?" Bruce growled furiously, an angry tic mark appearing on his forehead as he turned towards Bean, slowly turning a dark, furious shade of purplish blue.

"Despite the hailstorm of missiles that they launched our way, we weren't hit a single bit. Much like that iconic scene from "Pulp Fiction"." Bean remarked cheerily, holding his pipe up in the air and letting out a breath. "You should be grateful. There's nothing more precious than the gift of life."

"I'm gonna take you and chew you up like a piece of gu-" Bruce began to say.

Now I say "Began" because, regrettably, the next missile did NOT miss, and one of them struck Bruce squarely in the stomach, launching him high into the air and causing him to explode into an enormous splatter of salty guts and gore, an intestine neatly popping into Bean's pipe, forever ruining his ability to enjoy a good smoke from thereon.

"Yech." Bean commented, and with that he tossed the pipe away, sighing slightly. "Still...I think this is good enough." He decided, poking a discarded lung on the ground nearby. "Yes...bloody enough."

...

...

...

... "I told you! You're not readin' the Rhythm of the Earth! That's what Yakin Shīru is all about!" Marine insisted, poking the floor beneath her as she and Tails sat in a hut at the village they were temporarily staying at, an annoyed expression gracing the raccoon's features.

"And I'M telling YOU that I don't-under-staaaand-you!" Tails groaned, elongating the word deliberately as he gesticulated with his hands.

Marine rolled her eyes as her pet koala folded it's arms. "Look, you gotta sharpen yah senses, mate! Like THIS!" She said, putting her gloved hands to her head, a strange expression coming over her face as if she was trying to drill a hole through the air with her mind. "THERE! I sense it!"

"I TRIED that already!" Tails whined, beating the ground with his hand. "Explain it MORE!"

"Go WHOOMPH and let it come naturally!"

"Whaddya mean "whoomph"!"

"...they sure are a lively bunch." Master Bokkun said as he rode atop of Omega's shoulder. Yes, he and several dozen Shanazarans were also holing up in the village.

"I am simply sorry you must hide out here." Omega insisted as snow began to gently fall around them. "They're...disruptive at times. And this is being polite."

"You love it, and you know it." Master Bokkun insisted. "You're one of them. In fact, you're practically the king of them. You're a natural leader." The master laughed and whacked Omega playfully on the head...then promptly nursed his sore hand.

It wasn't like they weren't enjoying themselves there at the village, though. Ms. Amy was quite a lot of help, and the younger Shanazarans loved hearing her tell scary stories in different languages, a talent she'd picked up from her world-traipsing parents. Even now, Amy was sitting around a campfire with a bunch of young Shanazarans and Mobian dibbuns, a scarf wrapped around her neck as she spoke in a low, creepy tone.

"Dis donker, donker, middernag...naaaader kruip die ZOELOEMAG!" Amy whispered.

The children all shivered as Bokkun visibly trembled. He'd heard that one before, it WAS frightening.

Nack however, had a different method of getting the kids' attention. Twirling his gun and sheathing it back in its holster, Nack smirked proudly as the kids looked over the apple he'd blown apart with a single shot. "Woah...100 yards..." One of them whispered.

"That's nothin'. I could blow dah antennae of an ant at fifty paces!" The weasel/wolf bragged proudly, making a fake gun with one hand and going "ba-bang" at the little ones.

"Have you guys seen Ewan?" Johnny inquired of Omega as he and Big approached them from the other end. "We're supposed to go out to get more firewood."

"No, I have not seen the chao. Why do you ask?" Omega wished to know. "He told me that he was going out to get firewood with Nack."

"Nu-UH." Nack said, overhearing and walking over to them. "He told ME he was going to go get firewood with YOU." **Fang the Sniper** insisted, shaking his head thoroughly.

"...hmmmmm." Omega's red eyes slowly opened and closed as his tone dropped ever-so-slightly. "Where could he be?"

Where indeed. Ewan was out in the forest, meeting with a cloaked blue hedgehog that was totally bundled up...a hedgehog that was not truly a hedgehog at all. "This way. I'll take you there."

"Oh, by all means, lead the way, chao." Metal commented calmly, removing the hood and letting it fall down to reveal his dark red eyes.

...

...

...

...meanwhile, at Central HQ, Rouge was now in her finest black outfit, serving Dr. Eggman a nice cup of coffee as he sat at his desk, working away at what appeared to be some kind of new robot. He had the television on and there was something of an interview on FOX News being broadcast. It was an interesting one, to be sure, but what Dr. Eggman was more interested in, even more so than the robot before him or the interview...was Rouge's uncomfortable silence towards him.

"...I understand...you discovered the truth about Cheese."

"Yes. I did." Rouge said bitingly, giving him a momentary glance before putting the filter in the coffee machine. "...I found out in a rather...disturbing...way." She added.

"And you also know of my own real identity?" Dr. Eggman added.

"Yeeeep." Rouge mumbled.

"Well, I guess the question on everyone's mind right now is...why are you coming forward now? Why should anybody believe your claims?" The FOX News reporter inquired of the woman she was interviewing, a green-haired woman with an odd-looking crown atop her head and a regal outfit.

"As to the first question, the answer's simple...I got tired of the hypocrisy."

"...as one of the huddled masses, I feel the need to ask, how do you honestly feel about all of this? Me, a Golem, being the leader of this country with a son as a Golem as well?" Dr. Eggman inquired, an intrigued look coming into his eyes behind his goggles.

"...disappointed." Rouge admitted. "No matter what you might have done, I had respect for you because I respected the office you held, and...and there were times when you managed to show a glimpse of humanity. And no, I won't take back the term." She added with a slightly insolent glare.

"I got tired of him pretending to be somebody he's not...a decent, honorable guy. The people who think he is need to hear the other side." The woman on the television went on.

"It's sad. You didn't really earn anything on your own the way we "inferiors" did. You got the position not because of your talent but because of whom your father was. The ultimate beneficiary of affirmative action. It's disgustingly sad." Rouge added, turning around to fold her arms before him. "Sadder still to think you played up the whole "great family man" angle."

"And isn't there ALWAYS another side?" The woman on the television continued. "Isn't that what the news has taught us about everyone? Politicians, clergy, teachers, **EVERYONE**?"

Dr. Eggman chewed his lip as he put the small robot into a box and began to wrap it up in a kind of glittery paper. "True...my men...this laboratory...my position...my son...all given to me by my designer. All of it flowed from him. Even my own talent isn't my own. But...you're wrong in one way. I wasn't playing up any angle with my family. I **chose** Vanilla and Cream."

Rouge blinked as Dr. Eggman attached a red bow to his Christmas present, standing up, politely nodding at her, and then leaving the room.

"...wow."

...

...

...

...meanwhile, back at the lonely village far off from Central, Johnny was helping a young man with his recent loss of parents. Regrettably they'd been raped and hacked to pieces by a psychotic bird. Big, who had also decided to assist the poor panther through this horrible time, was patting the young lad on the back as he finished his tale.

"And-and at the-the crime scene, all they found was a hand, my mom's head, and a gravy-flavored condom!" The panther sobbed, covering his face with his hands.

"Kid, it'll be alright." Johnny insisted. "We'll walk ya through this."

The kid kept wailing. "Thanksgiving is never gonna be the same again! No more pumpkin pie...no more cranberry sauce...just **TURKEY**!"

"Son, I know how you feel. I too experienced great loss. I was once one of the head men of the 5th Laboratory in Central. I grew so attached to all of my interns, and then one day, one of them exploded during an accident. Right in front of me." Big shook his head, sighing sadly. "I told Billy not to touch that wire..."

"...that **is** pretty bad." The panther admitted.

"I don't even know where my interns are right now." Big added quietly. "...I miss them. I never had a family of my own, so..." He nervously shrugged, rubbing the back of his head. "I guess I kinda imprinted on them..." He mumbled.

"Listen, I know what'll cheer you up." Nack said as he approached the panther with a rifle slung over his shoulder. "Whaddya say we go on a good, old-fashioned...TURKEY-SHOOT." He offered, placing very large emphasis on the last words, a grin spreading across his face.

A grin began to spread across the panther's face as Nack handed him a gun. "Oh, YES, please!" The panther laughed happily as the two quickly headed off, Big turning to Johnny.

"Think he'll be alright?"

"...I doubt it. That kid's gonna be screwed up for life the longer he hangs out with-"'

"Heeeeeyyy!"

They turned around to see somebody heading up the hill towards them, moving through the snow. One was Ewan, the other a cloaked blue hedgehog with odd-looking red eyes. "Ewan? Where the heck were you!" Johnny wanted to know, hands folding across his chest.

"I found this drifter outside of the village, he says he'd like to see a doctor, so I thought I'd take him to you, Big." Ewan explained, shrugging his shoulders.

"That's good enough, chao. It was hardly Oscar material, but it doesn't matter...I think I can handle this on my own." Metal Sonic said, tossing the cloaked garb away as the fur transformed into harsh metal, his claws curling slightly in anticipation.

"...ohhhhh dear." Big commented, chewing his lip. "...this soon..."

"Hello, hello, helloooo, kitty-cat!" Metal laughed coldly as Ewan quickly made a retreat to the side. "Whatever are you doing out here? I mean, even for you, this is simply the sticks. These are people are positively..."

"Provincial." Big protested.

"Common?" Johnny wondered.

"PEASANTLY." Metal corrected, almost wishing he had the capacity to sneer at these filthy organics. "You've got some nerve you stupid little flea, trying to put one over on yours truly? I mean, really, did you think this was some kind of "Fugitive" movie, ending with you dramatically overcoming me and obtaining your freedom?" The robot laughed, cold and cruel, shaking his head back and forth as he continued to advance...

Not noticing that Ewan had winked over in the direction of Big, who gave Metal a calm, proud look.

"Oh, you smile? You think this is some kinda JOKE?" Metal Sonic laughed.

SCHA-SCHLUCHA! An enormous array of spikes suddenly shot out from the earth, striking through Metal Sonic's side, foot and his muzzle, making him reel back, gasping and vaguely squawking as his arms flailed, his body trying to heal itself. "Wh-wha! You...you led me into a TRAP, you dirty little beast!" He howled at Ewan, the chao calmly waving over in his direction as he walked over to Big and Johnny.

"Hey, you're the one who said to stop the acting." The chao laughed.

"We were waitin' for you, we were HOPIN' for you, you smug snake!" Big told him, turning around and smacking his butt in the Golem's direction. "I KNEW you were so confident and full of yourself you'd wanna go after me without help. Now we GOTCHA, cuz I've placed Metallurgic land mines all over the place!"

"Well look who dug down deep and finally found he had a pair of testes." Metal snapped. "You're still nobodies. No matter how many times you add zero together, it still comes out to ZERO!" With that proud statement, he stepped forward again. "Besides, this doesn't even-"

THA-THWOOOM! Giant fist to the face, knocking him through the air like a volleyball as another fist shot up and WHACKED him back down to the ground.

"Please tell me you're recording all this." Big asked happily.

"Oh, definitely." Johnny said, holding the camcorder and adjusting it to get a good look at the twisted expression of shock and pain on Metal Sonic's face.

"I'M! GOING! TO! MAKE! YOU! HURT!" Metal Sonic roared out, his voice devolving into a guttural growl as he tried to rush forward, only to be struck squarely in the stomach by a large statue with a lance that suddenly rose up from the ground. "GUAAAAGGGGHHH!"

"You know, it's kinda like shootin' fish in a barrel. After some time...you're gonna get bored." Ewan admitted.

"...I dunno. I've shot fish in a barrel before. Doesn't get old." Big admitted.

"F-fine, if you've got stupid "landmines" around here, I'll just walk in the places your stupid little friend was walking!" Metal Sonic hissed, trying to step in the holes that Ewan had made in the snow. Naturally, this went about as well as expected, and he was once again sent spiraling through the air, smoke rising off his body as Johnny began laughing so hard he almost dropped the camera.

"They ONLY react to Golems. And thanks to all this snow, you can't even SEE the landmines around here." Big explained calmly, shrugging his shoulders. "By the way, once you're beaten, I've arranged for a nice choir to come here to help me commemorate the event in which we, the "inferior trash" you look down on so much, kicked your shiney metal hiney."

"I almost feel bad for him." Marine admitted as she and Tails and her pet hid far off in a shack quite some distance away. "It's just remote Yakin Shīru. I'm having so much FUN, though! I gotta do this more often." The raccoon giggled slightly, one gloved hand holding onto a piece of paper, with several dozen responding "pieces" hidden in the snow around Metal Sonic.

"Thanks for walking me through this." Tails admitted. "I think I understand it a bit more." He added, holding up a casting paper of his own.

"...you...YOU...LITTLE...!" Metal Sonic began to growl, his body shaking and pulsing with fury. "I'll teach you to make a fool out of your superiors!" He roared like a lion, his body transforming before their eyes. "I'm going to put you in your place, you **FIIIIIILTH**!"

Metal had now transformed into his "Overlord" form, towering high above the snow, his draconic, metal-armored body shaking with rage, his serpentine tail lashing the ground furiously and fang-filled mouth opened wide letting out an animalistic roar.

"Oh boy." Big commented.

The Metal Overlord smashed his segmented spiked tail at their direction, and our dear, frightened protagonists rushed out of the way as his enormous, thick claws struck out to try and skewer them. Luckily, he missed again. Unluckily...

He had a cannon on his right hand. Holding it up in the air, a very smug sneer on his face as energy swirled around it's tip, finally shooting forth at Johnny and knocking him through the air. Regretably, this also meant he dropped the camcorder. Luckily, though, it didn't break.

"The camcorder's fine, it's fine." Ewan said, picking the thing up.

"Well, I'm glad IT'S fine!" Johnny screeched angrily, now hanging from a tree limb.

The armor of the Metal Overlord pulsed, the thousands of poor souls that made up his body screeching and sobbing and wailing, their faces all too visible within to those upon the outside as Marine looked away, horrified at what she was seeing, her pet koala nuzzling her gently as Tails patted her on the shoulder to comfort her. It was the most horrifying thing she'd ever seen in all her life!

"You're annoyingly persistent!" Metal Overlord growled in Big's direction as Johnny quickly hopped out of the tree, grabbing the doctor and rushing him off to the side. A moment later a harsh blow of golden energy struck the Metal Overlord in the face, knocking one of his teeth out as Ewan, now transformed into his tiny but powerful self, shook a fist in the Metal Overlord's direction.

"And YOU'RE just annoying!" Metal Overlord hissed at him.

"Don't sell us "filth" short, you overgrown tin can!" Ewan roared out.

"Damn you!" The Metal Overlord rushed forward, claws held high, but Marine acted quickly, another powerful array of spikes shooting through the golem's body. Unfortunately, this time the robotic being was much, much bigger, and he easily tore through the spikes, his tail lashing out and knocking Ewan through the air like kicking a puppy. "HA! You think your two-bit magic's going to help you now!"

"Let us see you contend with THIS." Omega roared out as he, no longer hidden, jumped up from the snow and through the air, slamming claws into the Metal Overlord's back as dark energy coursed through them and into the golem's quivering metallic form. The monstrous beast shrieked and howled in pain as purplish lightning surged through the air...

And then...THWOOM.

With that, the Metal Overlord fell to the ground, apparently unconscious. Big and the others stepped far away, the cat looking at the fallen form of the golem. "...y'know, I think we got 'im!" He said cheerily, turning around and facing the others, giving them a big thumbs up...

Not noticing the large electro-whip that quickly shot out from the claw-like cannon of the Metal Overlord, wrapping around him and hoisting him up as Metal Overlord laughed uproariously. "You know, I almost don't feel GOOD about winning this. Almost."

"DOCTOR!" The others yelled out in shock and horror.

"You put him down or so-help-me..." Omega growled furiously, purplish energy dancing around his claws like flames.

"Ah-ah-aaaaah." The Metal Overlord sneered, waving a claw back and forth in the air, the electro-whip sparkling and lightly shocking Big, who let out a cry of pain. "You try anything and I will snap him like a TWIG." He poked Big's head with said claw for good measure, leering at the cat. "He's already brown and skinny, I think it would be very easy."

"You disgusting little..." Tails growled under his breath as he and Marine stood near Omega, the others too nervous and frightened to move.

"I told you...if you were to try anything funny, I would erase that precious town of yours from the map."

"I...won't..." Big managed to growl out. "Let...you...do that!"

The Metal Overlord responded in a mature, adult fashion. By which I mean he took one claw and whacked Big squarely in the face with it, breaking his nose and sending blood oozing down over his quivering lip. "Oya-oya! The beaten cat doesn't get t mewl back."

"...grrrrr..." Big growled.

"Hmm." Metal Overlord rubbed his chin thoughtfully, a twisted smirk coming to his draconic features. "I know what'll get you to stop this annoyingly resistant attitude...I'll trash that annoying waste of space that is the village you've been staying at here." He decided.

"DON'T!" Big screamed.

"Simply crushing them or eating them or grinding them into powder would be FUN, but...not quite...satisfying. I know." The Golem looked from the village to Big, chuckling. "I'll bring whomever would bother you the most back to Central to become a new Chaos Emeralds."

"You're still making those insane things? You let my interns go!" Big demanded, struggling against the electro-whip, trying to ignore the pain that shot through him.

"Bit late for that..." Metal Overlord said calmly. "They've become the ingredients for the latest emerald."

Big's mouth slowly fell open, his eyes brimming with tears as his weak body began to shake. "...no...not them too..." He murmured, his tail and ears drooping down.

"Why are you getting so upset?" Metal Overlord spoke coldly, leaning in close, one burning, fiery red eye intently looking at the sobbing features of Big the Cat. "You've made DOZENS of Chaos Emeralds over the years..._all using innocent lives_." He added with a soft laugh.

For what seemed to be a long, long time Big was quiet as the faces within Metal Sonic's armor all seemed to change from leering and snarling to sad, somber expressions, Big lowering his head in shame as Metal Sonic's cold, metallic laughter rang over the fields like the tolling of an unholy bell.

"...it's true...I spent so...so long...not doing the right thing...hurting so many people...I learned more than anyone else in the military about how to make the Chaos Emeralds..." Big whispered tearfully, holding his hands over his eyes and whimpering. "...but..."

His hands reached down to his mouth as he spat out something into one of them, and he slyly put a strange, golden ring with a burning silver inscription written upon it on one finger. "When you learn how to make something..."

No longer cheeking his secret weapon, he held his hand high.

"YOU FIGURE OUT HOW TO BREAK IT DOOOOOWN!"

His fist slammed into the enormous golem's eye. And with that, waves of multicolored energy were sent spiraling out like twisted lightning from the Golem's body, the area surrounding them all spiking in temperature as the clouds above began to part, Metal Overlord screeching and wailing like he'd never done so before, his entire body beginning to dissolve away into tiny flakes that slowly melted into nothingness before their eyes.

It was, in a word, glorious. A Technicolor series of explosions were rocking the beast's body as he broke apart, releasing Big from his grasp as Omega carefully caught him and quickly stepped far away, the Golem's form reverting back to his hedgehog-esque appearance.

"Da-daaaamn...yoooou..." Metal Sonic manged to gargle out, a "mouth" ripped open along with most of his chest and stomach, showing off the chaos emerald embedded in him, a mouth filling up with what appeared to be lifeblood. "This...this can't be happen...happening...not to...not to me...not to ME..."

The metallic hedgehog was now transforming into a shorter, smaller form...silver in color, with orangish yellow eyes and stubby fingers, with thick boots for feet and a heavily-ironed appearance. "Don't...you... don't...don't you go...go looking d-down on...on meee...don't..."

Even that was slowly changing...that form too was dissolving away into a disgusting, bony skeleton of a thing that staggered towards them, naught but metallic waste barely given life.

"Don't...you dare..."

And with that, the "thing" collapsed, a tiny, egg-shaped little thing now lying in the ground, with a red and orange body and spindly little arms digging into the snow as teeeeny-tiny legs limped uselessly behind it. It tried to stand up, only to fall back down, it's pulsing, pinprick orange eyes glowing. "Look awaaaay...look away, look away..." It whined in a sound that was oddly reminiscent of computer static.

"...THAT'S Metal's true form? It's a freakin' EGG." Nack commented as Omega picked the thing up by it's tiny legs.

"You did it, Big. You beat him." Omega said gently. "...nicely done."

...

...

...

...needless to say, when they brought Metal's true form into the village and showed him off...the golem's pride took another nosedive.

"Ah one, two, a one-two-three-four!" Big cried out as the church choir began to dance around, singing at the top of their lungs as Big waved his butt proudly in the golem's face.

_**Payback is a bitch!**_

_**Payback is a bitch! (Oh yes!)**_

_**Payback is a bitch! (Oh, baby!)**_

_**Payback is a bitch!**_

_**You know it is, you know it is, oh baby,**_

_**Payback is a bitch!**_

"Lookin' at this thing?..." Amy commented, hands on her hips as Omega continued holding the little egg-golem-thing up in the air. "I almost don't feel guilty about you guys beating it. ALMOST."

"What is that SMELL?" Nack wanted to know, sniffing the air. "This thing?" He added, smacking the little prick with his hand. "...ooh, this is fun! Change my pitch up," he struck the thing again. "Smack my bitch up! Change my pitch up, smack my bitch up..."

"Ha-ha, you're Nack's BITCH...wow, that's sad." The panther that had been hanging with Nack admitted as he slung a decapitated turkey over his shoulder.

"Holy frick, is that a SMILE?" Amy asked him.

"I just killed the most diabolical turkey in all the Western Hempishere. Hmm. What now?" He wondered, turning to look at the turkey over his shoulder before laughing evilly, going off to start a fire.

"You gotta be careful, that sort of magic could have backfired and blown YOU to pieces instead of Egg-Robo over there." Tails warned Big as they sat him down on a tree stump. "You gotta be more careful, you GOTTA."

"I had to do this. I had to settle things for myself. I...I owed it to...to all those people who's lives I ruined by...by turning them into chaos emeralds." Big murmured sadly, head hung in shame.

"...it's alright. You did great." Amy said, patting him on the back.

"AAAA!"

Everyone turned their heads to see that the annoying little golem had finally had enough and had actually unhinged it's jaw and BITTEN Nack squarely on his hand. The weasel/wolf was now flailing around, arm waving hysterically in the air as he tried to get his balance, the golem sniggering. "Yum, finger food!" It got out before leaping on top of Nack's forehead, tiny hands stretched out as a series of wires began to work their way into skin.

"Oh dear." Amy gulped.

"Looks like I got myself a hostage." Metal sneered, forcing Nack to do the "Egyptian" before their eyes as his eyes blazed triumphantly. "I have LEVERAGE. Now this is very simple. If you want me to spare his life, you'll have to-"

"Go ahead. Fuck 'em. I don't care." Johnny said, Ewan nodding in agreement.

"WHAAAAAAAAAT?" Nack and Metal shouted.

"Oh, Mr. Nack!" Marine said, wiping a tear from her eye as her pet koala played a sad violin tune, Tails blowing his nose...somehow...into a Kleenex. "You're so BRAVE, sacrificing yourself for us. We will NEVER forget you!"

"Omega, sir, PLEASE tell me at least YOU'LL help?" Nack begged tearfully, prostrating himself before the Shanzaran and kowtowing over and over so many times his hat began to collect snow.

Omega blinked, folded his arms, then promptly did a perfect 180 degree turn around, ignoring him.

"NOOOOOoooooooo." Nack sobbed, covering his face and sobbing into the ground. "Not you toooooo!"

"Don't...screw...around...with us." Amy growled, hands on her hips. "We're not playing around here."

"Yeah. If we hafta kill that guy to get to you, we will. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few or the one. I know it's true because Spock said it." Big said firmly.

"...oh bloody f—kin' hell. FINE!" Metal snapped, releasing his grip on Nack and falling to the ground as Tails scooped him into a jar.

"Nice bluff." Amy complimented Big, patting him on the back...as the old man finally collapsed, the stress of everything getting to him. "AH! Call a doctor!" She yelled, tugging on her hair. "...I AM a doctor!"

"YOU GUYS **SUCK**!" Nack screeched.

...

...

...

... "Damn you...damn you..." Metal mumbled as he sat inside the jar.

"I think it's time you spilled the beans, or I'm gonna introduce you to a little thing I like to call "PAIN"." Johnny said, picking up the jar as everyone stood around in a shack, the chao shaking the jar back and forth, knocking Metal against it over and over.

"Get 'em hard, shake and bake, stick it to that lousy snake! Gooooo JOHNNY!" Marine and Amy cheered, now somehow dressed in cheerleader outfits and doing a jumping cheer dance.

""Why should I tell you? You'll just kill me after, won'tcha? And...hey." Metal blinked, looking around. "How come Blue Bubblebutt isn't here?"

"Oh, he's should be at Nocturne. He just had some business to take care of at the base camp." Tails said simply, shrugging.

Metal giggled. "Not what IIIII heard. I heard that the base camp near Nocturne, well...blew up."

"WHAT?" Tails gasped in horror as Amy drew in a harsh breath.

"Yep. BOOM. The **Dynamite Metallurgist** knows his stuff." Metal laughed.

"So...what do we do? Head out to check on him, then?" Big wanted to know, scratching his head.

"...no." Tails insisted. "My brother would want us to keep moving forward. So that's what we'll d."

"I'll have to go my separate ways from you." Omega spoke up quietly. "I am no longer interested in a petty thing like revenge. I want...more. And to get it...I'll need you to come with me, doctor." He informed Big, turning in the cat's direction.

"There's someplace I should go to as well. Knothole. If my guess is right..." Tails murmured.

Marine sat nervously by the jar on her lonesome, chewing on her lip. Omega calmly approached her, sitting by her. "You need this. Take him and go back to your land. It is a golem, after all. It has a chaos emerald within it...doesn't die even when you kill it...isn't this what you were looking for? The Metatron would be most impressed with the knowledge you could gain from this thing."

"...But...if I go home, who will teach you all about-"

"You have your OWN problems to worry over!" Omega insisted loudly, getting everyone else's attention. "What happened to that resolve you had at the beginning? If you don't bring this to Soleanna, you know what shall befall your people! We can handle our country's problems...you handle your own. Understand?"

He gently placed a clawed hand on Marine's shoulder as the raccoon bit her lip.

"You have people at home counting on you. It'll be alright." Tails said gently.

"...I...th-thank...you..."Marine murmured nervously, taking the jar, tears brimming in her eyes. "...I...I..."

...

...

...

...it wasn't long before Marine was on her way to the train station, clutching the jar that held Metal tightly, tears trickling down her cheek as her pet koala nested on her shoulder.

"They're good people, aren't they?" Metal asked softly. "You really want to help them. I get that. It's all noble, heroic, that Russel Crowe "Gladiator" crud. Look...think about it. You're just one little girl. They've already got a lot of help. You don't HAVE to go back."

"...but I did...I did promise myself I'd head back to Soleanna with...with the secret that I so needed...the power my clan needs to survive..."Marine murmured to herself.

"Look, if it makes you feel any better, I'm not the weakest of us. I'm not the most powerful, but I'm not the weakest. The most powerful lives down in Central, but you've got your whole "duty to your family" thing to think about." Metal added calmly.

"...those people back there...they're family too. I can't abandon them, mate. Nobody gets left behind!" Marine insisted. "Screw this noise, I'm goin' to Central, they'll be headed there eventually anyhow!"

Metal grinned darkly to himself. _Gotcha, bitch_.

**SEASON FOUR ENDING CREDITS!  
**

(Sonic stands alone in the wreckage of where his home was, Tails standing across from him as the two turn to look at the slowly setting sun.)

_**Kawashita hazu no nai yakusoku ga, **_

_**kyou mo...bokura no mirai wo ubaou to suru!**_

(Poses of all the Golems are shown with a final shot of Void, arms folded as he stands above Central, smiling proudly)

_**Hoshigatteita mono wo te ni shite mo,**_

_**sunao ni...umaku waraenai no wa naze darou!**_

(A scene of NiGHTS sitting underneath the stars, musing to himself is shown, which fades to a scene of Rouge looking at herself in the mirror, eyeing the shadows nervously as Shadow calls from the next room, getting her attention)

_**Afureru namida wa yowasa ya koukai ja nai!**_

_**itami ga unda...kakera deee!**_

(All of our heroes are shown running along a plain, ready for action.)

_**Donna shunkan datte unmei datte,**_

_**hitotsu dake tashika na...mono ga aru to...shii-iiitta!**_

(A scene of Amy walking proudly through a long hallway towards Sonic is shown as she takes his hand nods, the two of them running off a moment later.)

_**Genkai datte konnan datte akirametaku nai yo... **_

_**kono mama! Hanaaasaide!  
**_

(A shot of many ring-wearing hands is shown, reaching up for the heavens as a bright light emits from them all, leading into a transition that shows everyone standing around in a group shot, the Metal Brotherhood at the front.)

_**Kataku nigirishimeta kimi no migite no nukumoriii...**_

_**Koko ni aruuu kara!**_

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **

**Consider this my Christmas gift to all of you...the end of another season of my story, and what an end indeed! I hope you all have a great holiday season/winter break. :D  
**


	37. Rising to the Challenge!

_In trying to obtain the power to bring our mother back to life, we crossed the line._

_We took things too far, and we were brought down to Earth. _

_But now all that seems to pale in comparison to the threat that looms over our heads, for a madman is trying to sacrifice an entire nation for his own fiendish goals, and all the cards are in his hand._

_We're facing impossible odds. But I believe we can win._

_We just need to have a little faith. _

**OPENING CREDITS: SEASON FIVE!**

(Sonic and Tails sit underneath a tree as rain pours down, the two huddling close and gently resting their heads together on each other as images of their friends walk by in their head)

_**Yatto mitsuketa atarashii asa wa...**_

_**tsukihi ga jama o suru!**_

_**Mukau saki wa..."tsugi" ja nakute...**_

_**"sugi" bakari oikaketa!**_

(Images of all the Golems are shown, standing before Void, who sits upon his throne, taking a sip from a wine glass. "Selfishness" turns away, walking off, a look of determination on his face)

_**Nariyamanai youshanai omoidetachi wa,**_

_**yurushitekuresou ni mo nai...**_

_**sorosoro ka na tesaguri tsukareta hoho o,**_

_**kattou ga koboreochiru...**_

(Sonic and Tails rise in the air, their rings glowing as they rush forward at the Golems, Selfishness brawling against a large platoon of Central Army soldiers, with Shadow holding up a gloved fist, chaos energy swirling around it as he launches it through the air)

_**Ame wa, itsuka yamu no deshouuuu ka!**_

_**Zuibun nagai aida tsumetai!**_

_**Ame wa, dou shite boku o erabu noooo...**_

_**tsutsumarete ii ka naaaa!**_

(Amy sits atop a hill, head bowed, silently crying. She suddenly hears something behind her and turns, quickly running forward to embrace a Sonic and Tails who have no rings upon them...)

_**Ame wa, yamu koto o shirazuuu ni,**_

_**kyou mo furitsuzuku kereeeedo!**_

_**Sotto sashidashita kasa no naka de...**_

_**nukumori ni...yorisoinagaaaraaaaaaaa!**_

**Episode Thirty-Six:**

**挑戦にライジング****!**

**Rising to the Challenge!**

Arriving at Knothole with Nack, Ewan and Johnny, Tails found out some very interesting things from a gleefully chipper Sally Acorn. One, the special for today was Nacho Supreme. Two: the coffee machine in the diner had somehow gotten caught on fire, and therefore NOBODY was going to be enjoying an espresso anytime soon. Three...

"...daddy?" Tails spoke up, approaching his father from behind, the floating, jester-like being hard at work finishing the repairs on a, interestingly enough, radio. "You're here? I'm...wow, I had no idea you'd..." He murmured.

NiGHTS motioned for Tails to sit down with him outside and he, Sally and Amy, who had also gone with Tails to Knothole, followed NiGHTS to a set of trees by a large patch of blueberries. "I've been talking to Tiara about you and Ogilvie's problems. There's something I think I..." NiGHTS hesitated fr a long time. "...I think I need...to...to uh..."

"Oyyyy!" A pair of dingoes approached him, tapping him on the shoulder. "Mr. NiGHTS sir, we need a repairman for the karaoke machine in the bar, AND the roof got caved in."

"Oh. I'll get right on it! Uh, you don't mind catching up later, do you?" NiGHTS asked of Tails, a nervous expression covering his features.

"N-No, no, not at all!" Tails said quickly, waving his hands in the air. The two promptly nodded at each other, with NiGHTS floating off towards the "Ariel's Aerie". "...gee." Tails mumbled.

"What's with the sour expression, Mr. Miles?" Sally wanted to know, a confused expression on her face as they entered the diner she worked in.

"Me and my brother stuck our noses into Snively's businesses. We meddling kids ruined everything and that's why there was so much fighting around here when Central army came in." Tails said in a depressed tone, holding his head in his hands.

"Tails...were YOU sitting on your hands while rioting got out of control in the historical district?" Sally wanted to know, tilting her head to the side ever-so-slightly as she folded her arms.

Tails chewed upon his lip. What exactly was he getting at? "No, but-"

"Were YOU the one who encouraged people to fight amongst each other because one side was "heretically ignorant"?"

"...noooo..."

"Were YOU the one who launched bricks through bus windows, tossed Molotov cocktails at schools and razed houses to the ground?"

"...no."

"Then I don't blame you." Sally said calmly. "Yeah, we went through a really, really rough patch. Yes, many people suffered. But ultimately, everything came down to this: our people working together as one to rebuild our town. Yeah, I wish it hadn't come after so much fighting, but it's still nice to see this end result all the same." With that, she left, heading inside the kitchen to get a plate.

"...I...suppose." Tails admitted quietly, nervously chewing his lip again. He could understand what she was saying, he really could. He and Sonic hadn't really done anything wrong, per se, but that didn't change the fact that they felt indirectly responsible for what had occurred here at Knothole. All he could hope for was that somehow, he and his brother would be able to, with their skills and their friends by their side, bring down Void, expose the government for what it was, and right all the wrongs that had been committed.

He just needed to have faith.

And...well...

"...could I, er, assist you in the rebuilding?" Tails asked of Sally as she returned to the seat she'd been in and fiddled around with a ketchup bottle, painting something onto a plate she had before her. She held it up.

It read "Yes".

"I knew what you were thinking." She said as Amy walked in, wearing a large tool belt and a thick jacket loaded with hammers and chisels and the like, Johnny and Ewan holding up jackhammers, respectively, with Nack twirling around an automated screwdriver like it was a pistol.

"We'd LOVE to have you help us, Tails." Amy told him, a cheery smile appearing on her features.

"I'm gettin' paid fer this, right?" Nack wanted to know.

"We're having a moment here." Amy said, growling slightly. "...don't ruin it."

Elsewhere, NiGHTS was sitting in a bar on the inside waiting for a ride on the outside. Or rather, for his friends in town to come and pick him up after a drink. The bartender poured him a nice, tall cold glass of gin, rum and tonic, with several of the other individuals in the bar noticing that NiGHTS seemed...slightly disturbed.

The bartender let out a sad little sigh as she brushed her antennae back, one red and one blue eye gazing upon NiGHTS as she spoke quietly, tenderly. "What's wrong? Tell me." She wanted to know, her pearly-white fur as fresh as fallen snow glistening in the light of the bar.

"...my son just came into town, ma'am." NiGHTS murmured. "...I'm not entirely sure what I want to say to him after all these years." He took a long, deep slug from his drink, sighing just as deeply. "I left home years ago. I'm not even sure he sees me as his dad anymore."

"Hey, dad!" Tails's voice called out as the door was opened, the little fox standing happily with a tool belt around HIS waist. "I thought...maybe...you'd wanna help me patch up the library? There's this big, huge hole in the roof over where the nonfiction section used to be and I think that two people who can fly could get the job done faster than one..."

NiGHTS blinked slowly for a few moments. "...I...sure." He said quietly, an unmistakable smile coming to his features as he quickly put down a gold coin to pay for his drinks and everyone else's in the rooms, then rushed off to be with his boy, a smile coming to the bartender's face.

"Business as usual, eh, Ariel?" One of the regulars inquired.

"Another "Hallmark" moment, kid."

...

...

...

...meanwhile, quite some distance away, Sally and Amy were talking to each other as they got to work on repainting a wall of the school. It had been accidentally burnt down in the "incident" that had gripped the city, and although it had been replaced with a new wall, it needed a much better paint job. The girls had decided to take this opportunity to talk to each other.

"So..." Sally inquired as she added more "Navy blue" to the wall. "Does he snore?"

Amy almost dropped the paint bucket she had in one hand, eyes widening. "Wait, wh-WHAT? **WHAT**?"

"Soniiiic." Sally said, giving the pink hedgehog a knowing wink with one eye. "Does he snore?"

"...I've never heard him snore, why would you think that I know if he snores?" Amy said, perhaps a bit too quickly.

"C'mon. You're with friends here." Sally insisted. "Have you...well...you know?"

"...look, there are a few...things..." Amy mumbled nervously. "...that I like to do...that I like to keep hidden from others, and I don't just talk about them with anyone. Certain...**actions**...that I feel the dire need to do..."

"What do you think that the girls are talking about?" Tails wondered out loud as he and his father floated through the air, lifting up a large new piece for the roof to the top of the library. They quickly touched down where they needed to be as NiGHTS revved the automatic screwdriver he had in one of his wrist-less hands.

"I dunno. Well...maybe...nah." NiGHTS shook his head.

"What?" Tails wanted to know.

NiGHTS nervously blushed. Truth be told, he'd heard some OTHER things from Tiara about Sonic and Tails...or rather, about his dear hedgehog son in particular...and about his son's affections for Amy. And being the sort of father that he was, he was understandably concerned about what his sons knew about...well...

"...son..."

No more putting it off. He had to talk to at least ONE son about it.

"Son, how much do you think you know about...intercourse?" NiGHTS wanted to know.

"Inter-oh. You mean sex?" Tails murmured nervously. "...you really want to know what I know? This isn't a trick question, is it? I can, like, go get a belt for you right now."

"No, no, you've got a free pass." NiGHTS insisted. "How much do you think you know about sex? Spill the beans. I won't punish you."

"All right, all right." Tails said, resting on a "secure" part of the roof with his father as he cleared his throat, re-adjusting the way he was sitting before continuing to speak.

It was time to paint a possibly very vivid and disgusting mental picture.

"First and a man and a woman have dinner, right? But not at a fast food restaurant. More like a fancy one, with tablecloths, a waiter with a towel on his arm, that sort of place."

"Four-star. Right, right. Go on."

"Then the man orders some wine, and tells the woman how beautiful he thinks she is, and the woman feels the man's muscles while giggling. That's called "foreplay"."

"...riiight."

"Then they go back to the man's place and he puts in some smooth music. Like, well...like Coltrane."

"Then the two of them dim the lights, and that's when things get interesting. The lady lays on the bed, and the man jumps on top of her. They roll back and forth, kissing, and while this is going on, the woman lets the man feel her...well, her breasts. Then their eyes roll into the back of their heads, they smoke a cigarette and then, later, get married. That's "doing it", right?"

NiGHTS rubbed his chin...or rather, lack thereof.

Hmm. Tails knew SOME things, but when it came to the full details, all the "ins and outs"...apparently he didn't know the whole truth.

"Well, actually, there's more to it than that." NiGHTS admitted nervously. "And it's possible...POSSIBLE...that your brother might know more about this than you since he's older, and that sort of thing is what I believe Amy might be talking about with Sally. You see, Tails..."

NiGHTS leaned back in midair, taking a deep breath. "See, you have this man and this woman..."

PRECISELY FIFTY-TWO SECONDS LATER...

"...you DID that? With MOM? EWWWWW!"

"...it's not THAT bad." NiGHTS defended.

"Oh LORD, I'm gonna throw-UUUUGGGGH!" Tails screamed, rushing off through the air, turning green as he felt the bile begin to rise up from his belly.

Well, that was ONE way to dissuade children from ever having sex. Give them "The Talk" early. Of course, NiGHTS still wondered if Tiara had had the talk with Amy. Had Sonic and her...?

What WERE she and Sally talking about?

_**"Your love, your love, your love is my drug! Your love, your love, your love is my drug!"**_ Sally and Amy bellowed out as they shook their booties around by the school, singing into their paintbrushes like they were microphones.

"Oh, I feel so naughty!" Amy laughed.

"it's okay, baby. Really. It's perfectly natural." Sally laughed as they started up again. "_**Your love, your love, your love, is my druuuug!**_"

...

...

...

...elsewhere, Shade the Echidna, the newest General of Central, was being given the grand tour of the Central HQ. By, of all people...

"You know, being such a...well...being so "you" isn't healthy." Knuckles insisted as he and Shade walked along, side by side. "You need to get more in touch with your feminine side."

"Knuckles, my "feminine side" is staying right where it is, starving, blinded and tied to a giant black metal ball in a dungeon pit in my subconscious, thank you very much." Shade insisted coldly. "And if you make any sort of comment on how no man will ever love me and I KNOW that you're thinking it, I'll show you the reason why they call me a "ball buster"." The echidna hissed.

"Ah, good to see you two are "getting along"." A rat-like individual with a faint British accent commented cheerily, his wormtail tucked neatly into his large coat's pocket as he smiled at them with a big, toothy grin. This was General Rye, one of the higher-ups in Central who, along with General Marl, had been helping Shade feel "settled in" to her new job. "I hate to tear you away from your dear family, but I'd like to show you something."

"...thank you for this." Shade said, taking the man's head and kissing it as the general stood there, stumped as Knuckles "harrumphed" and walked off, rolling his eyes. Shade was then led down a hallway in Central HQ to a lower level, descending a dark, dimly-lit staircase. "What's all this about, though?"

"Do you, pray tell, remember the 3 Cardinal Sins of Metallurgy?" Rye wished to know, one scratchy eyebrow raised high as he approached a large, sealed-off doorway with strange symbols lining up and down the walls.

"Hmmmmmmm." Shade rubbed her chin. "...don't oppose the military, don't use metallurgy to make things like gold and jewels, and don't make people."

"Correct. Do you know WHY there are those three restrictions? "Don't oppose the military" is an obvious one to understand, and we don't want people making gold and jewels out of thin air simply to create their own fortune. Entire economies could collapse that way if gold was as plentiful as dirt. But..." A big, "I've got you know" grin came to the rat's face.

"But do I know why "Don't create people" is a sin? I would think it has to do with the moral and ethical repercussions. I've heard that metallurgists think that doing that sort of thing, trying to bring the dead back to life or create new life, is going too far. Even life-magic users don't create new life, that sort of thing is supposed to be left up to God."

"Good guess. And an understandable one, truly. But that's not why." Rye said as he held up a palm to one of the symbols, making it glow a slight teal color. "Ethics are something that vary over time and among individuals. Such things have no place in deciding the future of our country. The point behind the law..."

The door slid open...

And Shade almost screamed.

"...is to keep others from creating a private military."

...

...

...

...Dodger the Chao was continuing a walk along a dark, winding, metallic hallway, eyes peering around in the dark as he mumbled to himself, shivering slightly in the cold. "Geez...it's so gosh darn cold in here. "Aren't I smart? I'll follow the creepy military dudes into a secret tunnel they were at", STUPID, STUPID, STUPID." He groaned, smacking his forehead with his palm over and over again with each reiteration of his stupidity.

It wasn't long before he found himself climbing down a ladder to a more light-filled region, the faint hum of heavy machinery in the distance. The entire place seemed to be some kind of underground space station that had been abandoned years ago...there was the faintest traces of old computer consoles lying around, areas where windows once peered out into space now only showing dirt, and...the occasional place where a photo should have been.

Scratch that. There WAS a photo on the wall. Quickly plucking it off, Dodger examined it. The back of it read "My first creations", showing a few hedgehogs, a lizard, what appeared to be a chao of some kind, and-

Odd. That human in the picture kind of reminded him of...there was a faint resemblance to dear ol' "Mr. Selfishness" himself, Michael Wh-

There was a faint laugh. Dodger looked up to see a serpentine form standing there, eyes glittering pink...

Meanwhile, Tails was talking with his father about the underground space station. He found the whole subject to be extremely fascinating. They were, wisely, speaking about such a thing in private, on the outskirts far out of town.

"I saw it myself back at Nocturne. It is, quite simply, more than a space station if it's honestly as big as I believe it to be. If it's the same one as the one underneath this town..." Tails murmured, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

"And it might have something to do with the enormous seal that's being made around Mobius, is that what you're implying?" NiGHTS wanted to know, an imaginary eyebrow raised.

"Yes, and we even know who's behind it all. Your, well, "brother"." Tails went on as NiGHTS's eyes bugged out in a mixture of surprise and horror. "He said his name was Void. And what he said..."

"...it's true." NiGHTS admitted, bowing his cap-wearing head in slight shame. "All he said. I was, at one point, a citizen of Babylon. And I was, at one point...an angel. Now I am, at this point...a living chaos emerald."

He placed one hand on his vested chest, shrugging slightly. "Well, go ahead. You can use me to get your old form back, right? I don't mind, really. It would be for a good cause. Besides, you can think of it as payment for missing, what, 10 birthdays?"

Tails laughed slightly, shaking his head. "Dad, dad, dad! Sonic and I PROMISED ourselves we'd find a way to return ourselves to normal without using the Chaos Emeralds. ANY of them."

"...that's kind of the answer I was hoping for." NiGHTS admitted, rubbing the back of his head.

"So...er...what's it like having that kind of body? I mean, it's a lot like mine, but...well...better. I mean..." Tails shrugged. "You can eat and feel and all that."

"Well, there's a lot of skills that are useful which come with the territory." NiGHTS admitted, pointing at himself and smiling. "But...I hate having to watch as those I love die before I do, like your mother."

"...kinda hard to believe that your brother is such a giant jerk." Tails added quietly, with a faint laugh.

"Yes, Void is sort of..." NiGHTS sighed. "He's something of an idiot. He's just never "gotten it", truth be told. And he's so proud of his body when it's really nothing special."

The purple-capped jester crossed his arms, sighing deeply, eyes closed. "At least he didn't go the unoriginal route and just copy my body or something silly and stupid like that."

"But this reminds me." Tails added, taking out some notes from the right-hand pouch on his belt and handing them to his father. "He's planning to replicate what he did in Babylon to Mobius. An easy way to help bring it all to a halt would be to destroy the space station beneath-"

"Don't." NiGHTS said quickly, shaking his head back forth as he put two hands upon his son's shoulders, a look of concern on his nose-less face. "I just encountered the strongest of all the Golems, a being named **Despair**. He was right underneath the town. Also, he apparently set up cameras everywhere in town. For all we know, he could be watching this right now. So don't bother going down there."

"...all right." Tails decided, sitting right back down. "But what are we going to do? For all we know, the seal could already be completed!"

"It won't be activated." NiGHTS insisted solemnly. "He's waiting for "The Promised Day"...that one day, that one time his plan can be sprung into action. Until then, we needn't worry about the seal being activated."

"What's "The Promised Day"?" Tails wanted to know.

"The answer you seek...lies in the heavens above." NiGHTS said spookily.

"I don't understand." Tails told his father. Honestly, he didn't.

NiGHTS rubbed his forehead with two fingers. "Of COURSE you don't. I'm speakin' in RIDDLES, son. I'm sayin' the sorta thing that'll later make you go "Oh, **that's** what he meant, "the heavens above"!"

Elsewhere, Leigh the Chao had arrived at the bank with Sonic's official identification as the "**Blue Blur**". It had helped that Sonic knew some illusionary magic.

"You...feeling all right?" The bank teller asked "Sonic" as "Sonic" adjusted his coat again at the teller booth.

"Fine, just fine." "Sonic's" thick voice insisted.

"I kinda expected you to be...shorter. And...less...uh..." The teller began to say.

"What can I say? I hit puberty early." "Sonic" lied through his teeth as he took the money he'd requested and left the bank. The teller, who had been alerted to call the police if said individual actually showed up, was on the phone with the cops in an instant.

It wasn't long before they were following the trail that "Sonic" had left behind to a private practice doctor's office, the cops knocking on the door.

BANG-BANG-BANG!

"Ahhh! One moment, one moment! Coming, coming!" A slightly whiny, diminutive voice roared out. A moment later, an albino, rodentine creature looked up from the doorway, staring at the soldiers before him. "What is it? This had better be importantly important. I am SUPPOSED...to be leaving today to go on vacation! To meet with my girlfriend in Knothole!"

"We're looking for someone." One of the cops insisted as they entered the doctor's clinic, noticing that a lion was in an operating room, with gauze wrapped around his arm, which was in a sling. "You just have the one patient?"

"No, there's another man here in the back, rest-" the doctor began to say. Unfortunately that was enough for the cops to promptly waltz in, going to a room that had a few beds within. Resting in one was Leigh, who sat up, giving them a look.

"Whaaaat?" He asked.

"Deep voice...muscular...he's the one who appeared at the bank disguised as Sonic. All right, spill." One of the cops insisted. "We KNOW that wasn't Sonic at the bank. He's not nearly as tall as you..."

Outside the room, one of the cops stood guard, arms folded, nervously glancing around. He HATED hospitals and doctor's offices. Luckily, there was somebody approaching who would soon help him get his mind off of that...a yellow/golden hedgehog with red eyes who was munching on what appeared to be a chili dog.

"What's happedy-hap?" The hedgehog asked the man.

"Well, maybe you can help me." The cop insisted. "I'm looking for a hedgehog, like you. But he's described as being..." The cop scratched his head, trying to remember the description. "...right. Blue...wearing red and white shoes...green eyes...short..."

The hedgehog's fist clenched.

"Fat..."

Well THAT did it.

He was instantly knocked flat on his ass with a harsh punch to the gut. The other two cops in the room Leigh was in turned around to see their friend then being thrown clear through the doorway, striking them both to the ground and knocking them squarely out as Leigh sighed, standing up and dusting himself off.

"Calm down. You just had major surgery. Shouldn't you be taking it easy?" The chao insisted.

"Don't patronize me. It's time to rise t the challenge! Just give me some room to run away, cuz I'm ready to roll!" Sonic laughed, clenching his fist tightly and holding it in a victory pose into the air. "I'd think of more clichés, but I don't wanna ruin the moment-"

"HEY!" The good doctor that had patched him up yelled furiously, an angry glint entering his red eyes as he folded his arms, growling darkly. "You do realize that I'm probably going to get arrested for harboring criminals? Now I'll have to move my practice!"

"...er...uh..." Sonic mumbled nervously, rubbing the back of his neck.

"I...will make this...succinctly succinct as possibly possible. Allow me to begin this tirade against you, you stupid, STUPID person, by reciting the Ten Commandments!" The gerbil-sorry, HAMSTER-like doctor, snarled. "Thou...shall...not...kill. And that is the ONLY reason you are all still alive."

"...this is gonna cost us, isn't it?" Sonic sighed deeply. "...how much for you to come up with a cover story on how we were threatening your life, forcing you to keep us hidden in your clinic?"

...

...

...

...Dodger had not been having a good day, the poor schmuck. He had followed military troops to what had appeared to be a top secret base in the hopes of avenging a dear friend and benefactor, only to get lost. The ride TO said secret base had been bumpy, he had been unable to feel his extremities for several hours due to the fact that the truck he'd hidden on couldn't handle the road, he'd not eaten or drunk anything in two days, and now he was being chased by an anthropomorphic serpent that would most likely kill and eat him.

_**"Oh where, oh where has my little chao gone, oh where, oh where can he beeee?" **_The snake anthro's voice hissed out as he calmly strode through the darkened space station, claws grating on the wall as Dodger tried to make a run for an exit, only to be caught off guard by a long tail which snatched him up and flung him into a nearby computer console.

Sparks shot through the air as Dodger screamed. He'd already endured a harsh head wound and lifeblood was seeping down, almost blotting out one of his eye's vision. Now his back felt like it was on fire and he was barely able to stagger to his feet as the black-scaled serpent sneered at him, flexing his claws, tail dancing in the air.

"You dead, mon?" The snake wisecracked, pink eyes peering intently at Dodger.

"...grrrrr..." Dodger growled.

"It gets so freakin' dull underground, having to do guard duty. Heh, I said "doodie"." The thing sniggered, as Dodger noticed a stream of ones and zeroes where his iris ought to have been. "Eh-heh-ah-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-haaaa!"

"...that powerful "super form", the laugh, the eyes, that hair..." Dodger growled, looking at the thing's glistening white hair. "...you son of a BITCH! DON'T YOU MOCK MY FRIEND! IT'S A LOUSY IMITATION!" The chao screamed furiously, rushing forward, fist held high as it slammed uselessly into a hardened palm. Dodger shrieked and staggered back, clutching a near-broken hand as the snake tilted its' head to the side ever-so-slightly.

"Imitation of who?"

"Of **Selfishness**! Of Mr. White!"

"How KEEN!" The snake commented in a friendly fashion. "You're right, I AM Selfishness!"

"Selfishness is...is your reason for being?" Dodger whispered, his eyes slowly growing wider as the snake nodded in agreement.

"You got it! Be it money, power, wealth-"

"I don't care, I want what I want, **when** I want!" Dodger finished quickly.

The snake's eyes widened. King/White blinked slowly, mouth opening ever-so-slightly in confusion.

"...it's...it's really you?" Dodger murmured. Could it truly be his benefactor? How? How had this happened?

"...who...ARE you?" King/White inquired, speaking quietly, a look of obvious confusion on his serpentine features. Just then, a splitting headache rose up in his cranial cavity, a white-hot-burning flare that seemed to bring eerily familiar scents and sights and sounds to his senses...

_"All of them were once people. Toni, the one inside you, was created with a Jackson's chameleon." He gestured at the others, first the grey one, then the muscular one, then the one with the intense yellow eyes. "Mark over there was created from a fox and pees standing on one leg."_

_"I DO NOOOOOT!" Mark yelled angrily, his tail lashing on the ground._

_"Andy, you were made from a...steer, right?"_

_The muscular one frowned darkly. "No, a bull, I still have my-"_

_"Good man, good man!" White eagerly nodded. "And Dodger here was created from your ordinary garden variety lizard."_

_"Just an ol' salamander, really. Nothin' special." Dodger informed Tails with a shrug._

"I can't believe it...Mister White, you're alive..." Dodger whispered, tears of joy brimming in his eyes as he clapped his little paws together. "You look good!...in a "flexible" kinda way. What happened?"

"How do I...know you?" King/White murmured in confusion.

"It's me! Dodger! From the Golden Calf in Mystic Ruins, remember?" Dodger asked eagerly, the headache rising up in King/White's skull momentarily.

_"Behave yourself you annoying little...c'moooon!" Toni demanded, trying to force Tails's doll-esque body to keep moving. Tails's feet were trying to move forward, but he'd regained control of his arms and was digging into the side of the wall, holding on as best he could._

_"Make...me!" Toni snapped._

_"Hello, hello, what's this?" White said in a British accent, walking up to him as Toni stuck her head out of Tails's chest. "You alright, Toni?"_

_"I'm fine, sir." Toni said, ignoring the gasping, clearly-disturbed-that-a-woman's-head-was-sticking-out-of-him-Tails. "Where's everybody else?"_

_"Ah, things have gotten...more complicated than I thought." White admitted, shrugging slightly. "We're going to have to abandon this place and come up with a way out."_

"...ohhhh! Right, right!" King/White said, nodding as he got down to one knee and patted Dodger on the shoulder. "We're friends?"

"Yes, remember?"

**SCHLUCKA-THUCK.**

Claws cut into the back of Dodger's neck as the serpentine golem leaned in. "I'm afraid not. That was the old **Selfishness**. I don't know you at all."

"...but...but..." Dodger managed to get out before all oxygen to his brain was finally cut off, and he fell down...all breathing ceasing, neck broken.

"I had my orders." The Golem spoke quietly, frowning in a slightly mournful fashion as he looked down at the little one. It bothered him to do that to one so clearly young...it truly did. "...I am honestly sorry-"

And then the headache returned anew, a hundred times worse, and **Selfishness **wailed in agony, blood drizzling out his mouth as he reeled back, staggering around like he was falling-down drunk.

"How the mighty hath fallen." King the Snake said from within Selfishness, arms folded, golden eyes turned to dark slits. "Murdering your own friends? Your own comrades?"

"He...was...not...my...friend..." the golem gasped out, trying to get back to his feet, only to fall back on his knees, his body shaking violently.

"_Dirty old man..." White gasped out._

"_Damn. This is interesting." Mark remarked as he and Andy jumped out of a nearby pipe, standing and facing down Dr. Eggman as White, Tails and a still-fairly-hidden Toni looked at them in surprise, Dr. Eggman blinking a few times._

_"You can go and run, little rabbit." Andy laughed at the fox, nodding firmly._

_"We're counting on you...okay?" Mark said softly, quietly so Eggman couldn't hear._

_"...okay. I'll go." Tails said as Toni tried to hold back her tears, the two Chao rushing forward at Dr. Eggman._

"Then why does it hurt your heart so?" King wished to know, speaking quietly. His voice had become soft. Soft...with an edge.

"I...don't...**have** a heart!" White yelled. "I am not a **person**! The old golem's memories were wiped clean! Made pure and-"

"There is NO SUCH THING as "wiping clean" a bond that's been made! Once you connect with someone, even ever-so-slightly, you **NEVER** forget them!" King roared out furiously as White writhed on the ground of the underground space station. "You cared for them, cared for Dodger, and you cut him down with your own hands!"

"No...no, no, _nooo_..." White murmured as he crawled towards Dodger's still body, holding it in his stolen hands.

"You...are...HIDEOUS." King hissed.

_White staggered to his feet, looking at the sight of the practically-ripped-apart Mark and Andy, whose pulverized bodies lay on the ground, their lifeblood draining out into the sewer as Eggman looked the albino human over. The human clenched his fists furiously and growled with a fury that had no equal among humans._

"_...what...do you think...you're doing to my people?" _

"_Becoming ATTACHED to your pawns? I'm touched, really." Eggman commented, placing one hand on his chest with a mocking flourish._

And White screamed.

And screamed.

And _screamed_.


	38. Enduring the Tribulation

_In trying to obtain the power to bring our mother back to life, we crossed the line._

_We took things too far, and we were brought down to Earth. _

_But now all that seems to pale in comparison to the threat that looms over our heads, for a madman is trying to sacrifice an entire nation for his own fiendish goals, and all the cards are in his hand._

_We're facing impossible odds. But I believe we can win._

_We just need to have a little faith. _

**Episode Thirty-Seven:**

**試練に耐え****!**

**Enduring the Tribulation!**

"Thanks again for taking us out to dinner, Mom." Cream said happily as she hugged her mom tightly, beaming broadly. "What a way to ring in the new year!"

"Yeah, those things with the crunchy bits were really, really good." Cheese admitted as the four of them headed into Dr. Eggman's private limousine, their driver taking them down the street, back to their home. Dr. Eggman had a nice night planned...a deep, long bath, followed by dirty sex with Vanilla.

There might be some confusion, I'll explain. The sex was actually very vanilla, the "dirty" part came from the bed: he hadn't washed the sheets in ages.

"Those were "onion rings"." Vanilla explained calmly to Cheese as Dr. Eggman smiled warmly at his wife.

"The whole day has been wonderful, honey-bunch." Dr. Eggman told her. "Honey bunch" was his pet name for her, and also his favorite cereal.

**(RAMPANT PRODUCT PLACEMENT!)**

"Folks, I'd like to talk to you about Honey Bunches of Oa-"

WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?

"...I'm doing an advertise-"

UH-UH. I KNOW IT SOUNDS SELFISH, BUT THIS IS MY STORY.

"HEY! Come on-"

BESIDES, I EAT FROSTED MINI WHEATS. SHOO.

"...friggin' fanfic authors. Never gonna work with another one of them, divas all..."

LET'S GET BACK TO THE STORY. Where was I? Oh, right. Dr. Eggman was talking to his wide. "You know, frosted mini-me?" He told his "son"." "Sometimes, I look at my crazy life. The fame...the idolatry, the throngs of idolizers, the money, the cars, the palace, the armies..."

He leaned back in his seat, his moustache quivering. "And then I think of a "normal" life. A life of good, honest, hard work. Lemonade with the neighbors...walks in the park...standing in a pond, watching little toad-frogs nibble at my toes. And I think to myself, "Ivo..."

He then broke out into near-hysterical laughter. **"Only in your worst nightmares!"**

"I, personally, would like to have Hugh Jackman nibble on MY toes." Vanilla mused to herself.

Well, it wasn't long before Dr. Eggman was back at his luxurious estate, in his ornate, Egyptian silk bathrobe, ready for his bath. The one thing he'd definitely learned as a parent was that you HAD to carve out your own "personal time", his own "space". He had a lot on his plate, raising children and running a country. When he wasn't looking over tax forms or filling out army orders or cutting ribbons at the grand opening of superstores, he was working in his laboratory on projects for the military or spending time with family. A man needed "private time".

And now? Was private time. He had gotten ahold of bath rocks. What were they? Simple. You run a bath...hot as you can take it. Sprinkle said rocks in. They made your ass smell springtime fresh. A little salt around the rim of the tub made him feel like a lime in a delicious margarita.

Pouring them in, he took his bathrobe off and prepared to put one of his inordinately large feet into the bathtub.

Regrettably, that was the moment where Cream and Cheese decided to go into the bathroom. Cheese had gotten some ice cream from the freezer all over him and Cream had wanted to wash it off in the bathroom. They were promptly greeted by the sight of-

**_BOING._**

"OH!" Cream screamed.

"AAAAH!" Dr. Eggman screeched.

"_EEK_." Cheese gasped out, little "hands" flying to his mouth.

"Cream, Cheese, **KNOCK** first!" Dr. Eggman insisted, quickly grabbing ahold of the nearest thing he could find: the bath rocks tin, and holding it over his privates. "G-get out of here, go back to your room!" He wailed.

Well, the next night, Dr. Eggman was visiting Cream and Cheese's school. It was a special occasion indeed, the school was showing off art samples that the children had created. Vanilla was especially impressed with the macaroni sculptures that Cheese had made. The boy was a natural!

"These look good enough to eat." Vanilla insisted as she and Dr. Eggman examined the sculptures of Cheese's family, the two of them moving over to the "painting" section of the orange-painted art room. There were several odd splotches of paint on the wall, and many a cubby was overfilled with weird art supplies, but they didn't really grab the good doctor's attention...

What DID was seeing himself standing naked in a shower setting, with the words "Knock first" written above on an 8 by 11 piece of paper on the wall next to a drawing of a flower garden.

Dr. Eggman was not a religious man. But some VERY sacrilegious things suddenly found their way out of his mouth before he finally managed to calm down, stuttering and blabbering almost incoherently, his wife trying to speak to the teacher about what the HECK they had just seen.

"I don't think that it's any of your business to be looking at my husband's BUSINESS." Vanilla insisted.

"There's nothing to be ashamed of, ma'am. The human body is a beautiful thing." Cheese's teacher insisted before she looked down at Dr. Eggman's lower region and giggled, finally breaking out into raucous laughter.

Yeaaaah, she was probably going to be executed by the end of the month. But it was worth it to see Dr. Eggman's facial expression.

Therefore, it's perfectly understandable why Dr. Eggman was angry and upset as the four of them returned to their home. He sulked on the couch, fiddling with the remote, trying to reprogram it as Vanilla read Cream and Cheese a story, hoping to get them to bed a bit earlier than usual.

That was when the door to the living room was knocked down, a dead guard tossed inside, his body sunken and purple in hue, eyes devoid of life and caved in like a crumpled apple. Glaring in the doorway...was a furious-looking golem currently inhabiting the body of a snake sapient.

"**EGGGGGMAAAAAAN.**"

"Wh-who are you?" Vanilla whispered.

"I suggest...you have the kids...look away." King/White hissed, leaping forth at Dr. Eggman, who had quickly activated his gloves, blocking the attack, albeit barely. Despite the laser-charged gloves keeping the golem at bay, there was so much furious HATRED behind the strike that Dr. Eggman was actually forced back a few feet, almost tripping over the table behind him-

CRA-CRASH!

Scratch that. The hissing-mad serpent glared down balefully as Dr. Eggman rose up, electricity crackling around his special gloves. "I REMEMBERED you sonofabitch...I remembered what you DID to them!" King/White snarled. "I can't get them outta my head..."

"You've got some NERVE." Dr. Eggman growled as he shot forward, the two combatants trying to force each other back, Cheese's eyes momentarily turning orange as he tried to position himself in a way that would allow him to sneak a metallic tentacle out. If ONLY he could get behind the couch to-

"You took something precious from me...I think it's only fair I try to take something precious from you." **Selfishness **whispered, tail striking Dr. Eggman in the leg and knocking him down for a moment, long enough for his black claws to hold the golem up high, pink eyes glittering. "I'll start with your eyes..."

"Pathetic fool...your foolish need for getting more and more won't even let you get over your past." **Cruelty** laughed.

"Ivo..." **Selfishness** said coldly. "You **NEVER**...get over your past."

"STOP IT!" Vanilla screamed.

The golem instantly hesitated, turning his head in the direction of the rabbit. Bad idea. A good strike to the arm forced him to let go of Dr. Eggman, who punched him in the gut, knocking him back several feet as a burning whip shoot forth, aimed to slice through the snake's throat and-

It was stopped in it's tracks by the "Super Form", the inky blackness protecting the serpent's neck as he gave the fat scientist a death glare before leaping out the window, deciding he'd had enough of this for now.

Cheese growled darkly for a moment, clenching a clawed fist, quickly retracting said claws and the tiniest spiked tentacle back into his body, clinging to Cream and whimpering in false fear.

"We...might need...to get more guards." Vanilla managed to get out.

...

...

...

... "This is annoying." Sonic mumbled as he sat in the old shack twenty miles from Central City, the same old shack that they'd fought the Bio-Lizard and Metal Sonic at. Sonic had gotten a call from Tails that he would be coming back to the shack after, and these had been HIS words, not Sonic's, "finishing up on a roof".

Evidently that roof was taking a long time. Sonic and the two chao he was traveling with had been waiting for HOURS in the stupid ripped-open shack. The only thing that gave Sonic comfort was knowing that no golem was going to show up and try to eat them-

"I hear someone coming." Leigh whispered, a hand going to one of his gigantic ears as Shiki tensed up. Sonic instantly jumped up from the seat he was in and turned off the flashlight they had on in the center of the table, the three of them taking up positions in the cabin so as to jump on anybody who might walk into the-

"Wait. I KNOW that smell." Sonic whispered. "Guys, it's alright." He insisted, turning the flashlight back on and stepping back as King the Snake walked in, panting and heaving, tongue lagging out of his mouth.

"Hello. I don't know where I am or how long I've been walking, but I do know that I am about to pass out on my lack-of-honker." The serpent murmured quietly.

THWOMP. He hit the ground, face first.

"Get a doctor!" Sonic yelled. "...we just came FROM a doctor, CRAAAAP!" he moaned.

Luckily, all King really needed was a nice salad. Luckily there happened to be plenty of dandelions, mushrooms and wild onions outside. Apparently, despite being taken over by a facsimile of life and almost having his soul consumed, he'd not forgotten how to eat like a pig.

"So, who are these two chao traveling with you?" King wished to know.

"You can tell we're chao?" Shiki asked. "But we've gone full-body..." He mumbled, seeming a bit miffed that it seemed so easy to tell. "And why aren't you more...weirded out?"

"I can sense the difference. A benefit to housing a golem, so I am very much used to weirdness. Don't feel bad, you would fool any normal being with that look, really you would." King insisted gently. "Do tell...what are your names?"

"I am Shiki. That's Leigh. Circumstances have sort of put us working alongside this hedgehog." The lion-chao explained, shrugging. "So you're really a golem?"

"Yes. Well, HOUSING a golem. It's my body he's using, his spirit is sharing it with my own." King told him. "**Selfishness** cut ties with the other golems after breaking into **Cruelty's** and **Despair's** home and...oh no." His eyes suddenly flashed pink and he began to stutter. "He-he's t-taking back the b-body..."

"Oh, JUST when I got you back?" Sonic muttered angrily. "Come on, fight it! FIGHT IT!"

"Listen! B-before I...lose...control..." King managed to stutter out, gripping his pants tightly, his hair flashing between sky blue and pure white. "Void plans on u-using a spell like-like the one he used on Babylon to this country! A p-portal of energy will open-open up! But-but if you and your brother are in the center of the...of the spell, you-you could...take that power and...and instead of...dooming everyone...you-you could...get your old bodies back!"

Sonic's eyes widened. King let out a screech, reeling back, twisting and turning on the ground like a snake that had had it's tail cut off.

"What IS that day he'll open it up?" Sonic wanted to know.

"PLEASE! I...need to know! ELISE! Did...did you?"

"Yes." Sonic said, taking King's arm, as the serpent became still, at peace. For a brief moment the snake looked genuinely happy.

"Sonic, I..." He whispered.

And then it happened. The hair color changed, the eyes turned pink...a cocky, confident laugh...

Michael White smirked, sitting his stolen body up and nodding in Sonic, Shiki and Leigh's direction. "Dang, he almost spilled ALL the beans. That would have ruined it all."

"YOU know when Void will activate the spell?" Sonic asked, eyes widening. He suddenly grabbed Michael's chest and throttled him. "SPILL, pretty boy!"

"Hey, did Dorothy say "spill" to the Good Witch? Did Wolverine say "spill" to Professor Xavier? Did Richard Tyler say "spill" to the Pagemaster? I think not." White insisted. "It's an adventure. You figure it out yourself or it won't mean as much."

"...dammit. I hate to admit it, but he's right." Sonic moaned, letting him go and shaking his head. "It WOULDN'T mean anything if I didn't figure out the solution on my own. I know I can do this."

"Yeah, well, thanks for feeding "us", and good luck movin' up, cuz I'm movin' out." White said, waving a hand dismissively as he headed for the door.

"Why don't you just come with us? Work with us?" Sonic asked.

"...what." White spoke softly, his eyes momentarily flaring wide.

"You know, the whole "good guy teaming up with minor villain" thing? The "enemy of my enemy" deal?" Sonic insisted, folding his arms and giving White a cocky grin. "You'll sleep better at niiiight."

"Look, I plan on taking control of EVERYTHING." White said coldly.

"Better the devil you know than the one you don't." Leigh said wisely.

"But you don't know me." White told him.

"But I do." Sonic said simply, giving the golem a small smile. "You're better than Void and the others. I...well...trust you. So...how about we work together? No, wait." He waved his hand in the air, shaking his head. "We'll work for you. But you can't call me "bubblebutt"."

White smiled softly, and for a brief moment, there was something of a genuinely blissful, deep, warm feeling in his heart. "...alright. Fine by me...**henchman**." White laughed, sniggering.

Yeah, he thought to himself. He might learn to LIKE this situation.

...

...

...

...meanwhile, Shade the Echidna stood proudly before her father, Locke, who sat with the rest of the family in the luxurious ranch to the north of Central City. Locke was a cattle king by heart...he'd made his living in dealing with cows and chickens and farm stock, and, combined with his down-home charm and keen intelligence regarding the stock market, had made a KILLING with his business. Therefore, he now owned a hundred-acre ranch with a beautiful home that had all the "fixin's".

Solar-power panels on the roof, a deep well for the water, beautiful rolling hills all around...the estate was positively radiant to behold.

And Shade was demanding that Locke hand it over to her. Like, now.

"I wanted Knuckles to inherit everything. Sorry, honey. I'll just be honest...he's always been my favorite child." Locke said bluntly, folding his arms neatly before the table he was sitting at on the front porch. Knuckles, standing close by, grinned inwardly and was about to do a victory fist pump when Shade promptly deflated his ego with a single swift stroke.

"He's nothing but an amateur. He couldn't even hit a girl. By which I mean ME." She said, putting one hand on her chest.

Knuckles saw what she was getting at. "Them's "fightin' words"." He growled. "You wanna throw down for the estate?"

"Actually, that's not a bad idea. Honey?" Locke turned to his wife. "What do you think?"

"Sure." Lare-Le commented cheerily, nodding her head. "Go for it, kids."

"It's time I introduced you to two of my friends." Knuckles said, holding up his fists. "I'm sure you'll find they make VERY...POWERFUL...ARGUMENTS." He growled, "The Pink" rising around his body as Shade drew her rapier.

"You know, brother, I never believed in therapy. I work through my feelings. So consider what I'm about to do to you equivalent to the YEARS of pain that came from me feeling inferior to you!"

"Now hold on, that's just a little sick-" Knuckles began to say.

Too late. Shade rushed forward, slicing and slashing at Knuckles as her brother quickly used his fancy footwork to jump away, trying to get the fight off the front porch. Seeing that the fight was most likely going to get harsh, Locke and the rest of the family quickly ran inside to get their things and pack up.

"OW-OW-OW-OW-OW!" Knuckles yelled as Shade, finally pinning him to the ground, began pulling one leg back, demanding he say uncle in retaliation for a moment in time that had involved a pony, Shade's formerly long hair, and a long dragging session.

"SAY UNCLE!"

"NEVER!"

"SAY UNCLE!"

"MOM THINKS YOU'RE FAT!" Knuckles yelled out.

The insult hit so close to home it actually stunned Shade, totally knocking the wind out of her. She let out a "eep", freezing in place...long enough for Knuckles to throw her off, grabbing her by the leg and tossing her through the air and into the enormous tool shed.

KRA-KRAAAAAM!

There was an enormous cracking and slamming noise as Knuckles dusted himself off, looking proud. She musta flown fifty feet-

Unfortunately, he'd forgotten about the tractor in the enormous shack.

"CRUD-CRUD-CRUD-CRUD-CRUD!" Knuckles screeched, rushing as fast as he could across the field with Shade waving her rapier in the air, laughing maniacally.

"BEATS YOUR HORSE, DOESN'T IT? BEATS YOUR FLAMIN' HORSE!" Shade snarled.

"So...I'm thinkin'...Vegas?" Locke asked his wife as Knuckles's screams were heard ringing through the air.

"Okay. But we HAVE to stop at Boston first. I haven't had any good clam chowder in months and I'm DYING for some authentic-"

"OH DEAR GOD, AAAAAH!"

"Yep. That was his arm." Lara-Le sighed deeply.

True, Knuckles was getting his ass-kicked as Shade backhanded him over and over across the face, his arm nearly broken as the two of them fought in the middle of a large herd of cows, which, though stupid, knew good entertainment when they saw it. They had all stopped to watch the show and could see Knuckles carefully positioning a powerful punch...

BOOM. Right to the gut. Shade was knocked clear through the air and began stumbling around, holding her stomach as Knuckles held his fist up proudly. "Still got it. You'll need more than that to..."

"WAAAAAAAAA..." Shade suddenly began crying. Knuckles instantly lost all self-respect as he gulped deeply, seeing his sister's tears.

"B-baby sis, I didn't...I didn't mean..."

"Why would you hit a GIRL?" She sobbed tearfully.

"I...I wasn't..." Knuckles tried to apologize, moving forward.

Big mistake. The cows all let out a respective "oooh" of pain as Shade unleashed her most potent move.

Ladies and gentlemen, we now present to you...chopped beef.

"..._eeeeeee_."

Ladies, I know you say "You men don't know pain, WE give birth". Well, come talk to us after your "crown jewels" have been "jacked" if you know what I mean.

"You're sick...sick...SICK." Knuckles squeaked out, putting an ice pack down as he lay in the back of a taxicab, glaring hatefully at his sister. "If you wanted me out of the house for whatever you had planned, you could have just SAID so."

"Yeah. But this way was more fun." Shade said, closing the taxicab door.

Speaking of strong women, Tikal Nuahatl was sitting in Nocturne jail, in fact, sitting in the same cell, the same seat, where the **Metal Brotherhood** had been sitting. She looked over at Emerl as Bark stood behind the Shanazaran, giving him a gentle smile. "Hello."

"Well, well. A lone woman randomly raiding our outposts, causing trouble...am I to take it you're the same woman who cracked Bark over the skull some years back?"

"I learned much from her." Bark said. "My signature move is actually based off the FINE technique she pulled on me." The polar bear insisted, bowing respectfully at Tikal.

"Oh yes." Tikal told them. "And I'm here to bring a message from Chaos."

Emerl stiffened. "...Ch-Chaos? As in-"

"Yeah. I had a talk with him in a dream. He wanted to talk about-"

"That day? What's going to happen on "that day" again?" Vanilla wanted to know, hearing the message from Heavy on her cell phone. "...oh. I see. And my husband, he?...alright. I'll try and find some way to keep him busy...sure, sure, I can drop a line to Rouge..."

"Thanks for the cigarettes." Ray insisted to Rouge, giving her a nod as she left the room. "But I'm kinda not into-"

Then one noticed something. One of the cigarettes in the package had been replaced with a tiny roll of paper. He quickly unfurled it.

"...hellooooo...so that's when it'll all go down." Ray curled the paper back up, smirking to himself. "I'll definitely have to let Shadow know the skinny. A few weeks from now...January 24th..."

...

...

...

...several days passed, and Amy had decided to head back home. She was getting very, very tired of being in Central, being so close to...THEM. In fact, she had even had something of a prophetic dream in which Chaos himself had urged her to return home as swiftly as possible.

Naturally she heeded his advice, and Amy Rose returned to Kiritimati with several people from Nocturne as, well, guards. Never hurt to be TOO cautious.

What she hadn't been expecting was to come home to find King, Sonic, two chao and Tiara all outside, grilling barbecued ribs.

"See, what you gotta do, is take the seasoning and then go like BAM." Tiara insisted, taking a chunk of seasoning and "bamming" it onto the ribs, sprinkling it around and adding a burst of flavor. "Oh. Hey, Ames!" Tiara called out, removing the cigarette from her mouth and smiling broadly.

"It says a lot about me that this isn't the strangest thing I've ever seen." Amy commented to herself as she sat down to join them. "Good to see you again, Mr. King."

"Oh, you know him?" White/King mused. "Nah, I'm Michael White, Golem of "Selfishness". I'm using his body at the moment."

"Yep. Says a lot that I don't find this strange." Amy decided. "I'm just glad you're here. I had this dream...Chaos told me to-"

"Come here to Kiritimati?" Sonic finished, eyes widening. "WE had that dream too!" He told her, nodding eagerly.

"Good thing we did come. Plus, I wanna make sure my henchman here has top-notch ring repairs. I mean, look at them." King/White said calmly, pointing over in Sonic's direction. Sure enough, his various rings were very, very cracked and worn. He'd been doing a lot lately, he needed a tune-up.

"...Amy, was there anything else that Chaos told you?" Sonic wanted to know, a nervous expression coming to his face.

"...that day. January 24th." Amy spoke quietly. "It's supposed to be the day when Mobius could be obliterated."

"I want you to take Tiara and get out of the country before Jan-" Sonic began t say.

**PIKO-POWER!**

Sonic found himself floored as Amy lowered her hammer to the ground, giving him a deathly glare. "Haven't we been over this already? I am NOT going to give up and run away."

"But Ames, there's a small chance that-" Sonic began to nervously insist, a look of deep concern in his green eyes.

"There's no "small chance!" Amy yelled, pulling him up and shaking him back and forth. "You're gonna WIN! And you're gonna get your original bodies back! And you're gonna come back here and _I'll finally get to make Tails that great apple pie recipe I got from Mighty's family!_"

Sonic could tell that Amy was almost on the verge of tears. He was a lot of things, but he wasn't a total idiot. "Alright." He murmured. "I've, uh...gotta go to the bathroom." He mumbled, quickly heading inside the house, a smirking White/King following behind him.

"You CHARMER, you." The Golem laughed. "You know, your deep desire for her is as obvious to me as the nose on your face. It's your selfish desire to make sure she's safe that's conflicting with you knowing that she could be of help. Love is a form of selfishness."

"When you're TOO selfish it bites you in the ass." Sonic insisted. He pointed at one ringed wrist. "I lost my brother's body. I lost use of my limbs. All because I loved somebody so much, that in my selfishness I couldn't let them go."

"Oh, really?" The golem mused quietly, his eyes becoming alit with a burning flame. "I wanna see my dead mom. I want that woman to be my wife. I want to have a successful life. I want to protect everything in the world. All of that is asking for so, so much. All quite selfish."

"It might be selfish, in a way." Sonic admitted. "But we feel things like a desire to protect and love others, and in trying to put their needs and desires above our own, we become UNSELFISH. We can want the best for ourselves, but want the best for those we love as well, maybe even more so, and there's nothing wrong with that."

"Like Superman?" White/King laughed.

"Huh?" Sonic blinked stupidly.

"Think about it. Why does Superman do what he does? Yeah, he had a good upbringing. Yes, he's got a great moral code. But the thing is...he's the only one of his kind on Earth. And when is he, this outcast, this orphan, truly loved? When he's helping other people. He does what he does because he wants to belong, and to be loved, but in being selfish, he acts unselfishly. It can even out...wouldn't you say?" The golem mused. "Aren't we always trying to even things out like that? Stop mistaking selfishness for a bad thing when it can be a blessing in disguise."

"Sure, you let me know when you feel like not chasing tail and then I'll think you have the integrity to back up those pretty words." Sonic told him, rolling his eyes.

Elsewhere, Tails was sitting on a park bench with Sally, groaning. He had a splitting headache. Worse still, he kept feeling "it"...that pull of his soul away to his true body. It kept getting worse and worse.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I wish that promised day would come sooner." Tails mumbled to her.

"It'll work out." Sally insisted. "We're ALL working together. We can do this."

"Ohhh, that's just beautiful." A voice whispered out loud as a sniggering, hissing noise filled the air.

Tails stiffened and leaped up, putting himself in front of Sally as the Bio-Lizard crawled out of a nearby bush, licking it's lips eagerly, that terrible, horrifying voice echoing through the air. "Such words truly tug at my heart."

"You stay away from Sally!" Tails growled.

"Very well. If that's what you wish, I shan't lay a single tentacle on her. Truth be told...YOU'RE the target."

Tails felt something grab around his neck, lifting him up as Sally shrieked, running to get help, the Bio-Lizard laughing uproariously at Tails falling for such an easy trick. Omachao smiled to himself, giving off a devilish giggle as he pulled Tails backwards, back towards the park bench, extending a single claw and readying himself for some impromptu surgery...

"I heard from a dear comrade of mine you had a chao hidden inside of you at one point. So, really, this shouldn't feel too unfamiliar..." Despair crooned, caressing Tails's cheeks from behind as he lovingly nuzzled the doll's head before raising a claw high.


	39. The Rise of Despair, Return of an Oath

_In trying to obtain the power to bring our mother back to life, we crossed the line._

_We took things too far, and we were brought down to Earth. _

_But now all that seems to pale in comparison to the threat that looms over our heads, for a madman is trying to sacrifice an entire nation for his own fiendish goals, and all the cards are in his hand._

_We're facing impossible odds. But I believe we can win._

_We just need to have a little faith. _

**Episode Thirty-Eight:**

**絶望の上昇、宣誓の戻り値****!**

**The Rise of Despair, A Return of an Oath!**

A white abyss...peaceful...calm. It almost felt like Tails was so close to his mother again. He could almost SEE her, HEAR her...

He could definitely hear SOMETHING.

"Miles...wake up, little Miles..."

A gentle crooning, tender and soft. A hand reaching out.

"Who-who's...who's there?"

"Don't go just yet..." The soft voice whispered, Tails swearing that he could feel a hand gently caress his cheek. An almost shapeless form was holding onto him, one hand raising his head up to look into soft lights. "It's too soon. Awaken, little Miles. I need you..."

And with that, Tails SAW him. Saw what this thing truly was, and pure panic gripped him, a terrifying, searing heat that began to surge through his body.

"I need..."

Tails whimpered as **Despair** caressed his cheek with a single claw, calmly moving closer to Tails's mouth, serpentine tongue flickering inside for a brief moment.

"To make use of you..."

...

...

...

...Tongues clicked and waggled as Shade continued to have her parent's enormous ranch cleared out of everything, and I do mean EVERYTHING. The cows? Gone. The chickens? Gone. No more animals, no more homely furniture, the townsfolk were certain that it would be the paint off the walls-

"Oh. Look. Paint buckets." One dark-skinned dog sapient commented as several dozen men moved in and out of the ranch, continuing to redecorate and renovate the whole place, with Shade speaking to her head decorator.

"So you're SURE you want another room added?" The blue-skinned being inquired, red-horned head raised slightly in confusion.

"Absolutely." Shade informed him, arms folded. "A large basement. Four walls and a roof, really."

"Maybe something eight by four with iron bars?" The imp laughed, sniggering wildly, trying to suppress his laughter with orange-gloved hands. "Heh-heh-heh-heh...anyhoooo..." He held up a small diagram for Shade to look over as Shadow the Hedgehog approached the scene from a distance, moving his way through the various men and women who were watching the whole scene. "See this triangle?"

"Yes, so?"

"People want rooms in three ways. Good, fast, and cheap. But you can only get it two ways. If you want it fast and cheap, it won't be good. If you want it good and fast, it won't be cheap. If you want it cheap and good, it won't be fast." The imp went on, shaking his head back and forth.

"I see. I can see I'm being screwed from all sides. You can stick your triangle up your circle." She snapped.

"This isn't Nocturne. You cannot scream a new room in." The imp said calmly. "Sweet cheeks." He added.

Shade REALLY wanted to cane him with the flat of her rapier. But unfortunately, the head of the Imp Infantry of Central happened to be the very best of the best in terms of redecoration. They **totally** understood interior design. "...if it's not cheap...how much will it cost?" Shade wanted to know, her eyes narrowing intently, trying to take deep breaths in through her nostrils to calm herself down.

"50,000 dollars."

"Is this a bad time?" Shadow asked in a slightly amused tone, poking his head between the two.

"No, no. Fine. I'll be back." Shade told the imp, taking Shadow inside the house, rolling her eyes as the two headed for the living room. "I decided to keep the chandelier."

"...really." Shadow commented, his tone kept even and calm, though his eyes gave it away that he clearly thought this was...odd.

"I LIKE crystal chandeliers." Shade told him calmly. How interesting. A shade and a shadow standing together under a source of light, the two standing almost stock still like pillars, with definite sexual tension-

"Don't you give us that bull, there's NO sexual tension WHATSOEVER." Shadow snapped.

Sorry. Sorry. Moving along. Shadow's face suddenly began to smile. A slow process, but one that ended in a very large, smug grin. "You know, Shade...I'm surprised at how very...SPACIOUS...this place has become. Why, you could fit an ARMY in here. Or at least...several battalions..." He added quietly.

Shade calmly held up her rapier, removing it from it's sheathe and nonchalantly filing her nails upon it. The "sha-shing" noise of her filing her nails echoed through the empty halls for what seemed to be many hours before at last she spoke up, solemn, soft. "...if anything...were to happen to me...I would like you to have it." She finally admitted.

"Not Knuckles?"

"You're the best man for the job."

"But you don't totally trust me."

"To be truthful, it does not take much to float to the top of the Central forces toilet. Saying someone is "the best Central has to offer" is like saying somebody is the smartest cast member of "Jersey Shore"." Shade told him.

"I'll take it all the same." Shadow said calmly, shrugging before reaching into a small knapsack he'd brought with him. "There's something I wanted to give you as a housewarming present. Here. A coupon to "Green Tea Chinese Restaurant" and a nice little card."

"...thanks." Shade commented, taking the coupon and looking the light blue card over. Certain letters had been carefully underlined in a slightly darker shade of blue, all done to spell out "Cheese is a Golem". "...considerate of you." She said quietly, eyes flashing like lightning. "I'll be sure to-"

Then she actually READ what was written in the card. I mean REALLY read it.

_**To a woman of definite **__**ch**__**aract**__**e**__**r **_

_**Ros**__**es**__** are r**__**e**__**d, v**__**i**__**olet**__**s**__**a**__**re blue; if something smells bad then it has to be you. **_

_**Roses are red, emeralds are **__**g**__**reen; y**__**o**__**u must weigh more than a washing machine. **_

_**Roses are red, tomatoes are too; if I had one now I would throw it at you. **_

_**Rosres are red, **__**l**__**ike a fi**__**e**__**ry co**__**m**__**et; your face would make even Quasimodo vomit. **_

_**Roses are red; daffodils gold; you might look better if you scraped off that mold.**_

_**Roses are red, looming huge to an ant; I hope that you drown in a waste treatment pla-**_

Shadow had, wisely, excused himself in the time it took Shade to finish reading the card. A good thing too, because just after he closed the front door Shade's rapier shot almost straight through it as she angrily let out a war bellow, promising to "cut them off" if he ever showed his face around her again.

...

...

...

...meanwhile, Dr. Eggman was rather preoccupied. You see, as dictator over all of Mobius, this meant he had to do certain...duties. Important things. Usually having to do with the army.

In this case this has NOTHING to do with that. He was attending the birthday of his wife. He was currently standing by the punch bowl, sipping some spiked punch with his wife talking to her friends about their first date. He was FAIRLY drunk, but still smart enough to know better than to let his wife talk about subjects that really, really embarrassed him. So far he'd steered the conversation away from any potentially embarrassing subjects.

It was too bad Cream wasn't there with them, but she was staying with Rouge at the moment, who was only too happy to act as babysitter. In addition, Emerl from Nocturne was also there at the party to act as a bodyguard for Dr. Eggman.

Really, it was just so the good doctor could remind Shade that she was Central's bitch, and they could do anything they wanted with her and her troops. They'd even had Bark pick up Dr. Eggman's laundry, the big joiks.

"I HAVE to tell you." The male cat that Vanilla was talking to insisted as his wife nodded. "They're stinky, they're messy, they're nasty. And I'm talkin' about our little girls. I know people say they're made of sugar and spice and everything nice, but I'd rather be around a damn DOG."

"Heh-heh. Makes me think of my daughter. Oh, the stories I could tell you about when she was born!" Vanilla insisted, waving a hand in the air.

Ah, Dr. Eggman thought, a sense of ease coming over him. Baby stories. Cute. Nostalgic. Relatively low on the embarrassment factor, and certainly nothing to do with him. This should be-

"See..." Vanilla took a sip of her punch bowl as she leaned in closer to the feline sapient couple she and Dr. Eggman were speaking with. "It all started when my cervix was dilated to-"

"WHO WANTS DESSERT?" Dr. Eggman yelled quickly.

Not long after, Dr. Eggman was speaking with the head of the Imp Infantry himself by the bathroom, who had noticed that Dr. Eggman was taking a few too many drinks of punch for his own good. In fact, the poor doctor kept running in and out of the bathroom every other minute to relieve himself, the poor schmuck.

"Sir, you can't keep doing this. You're getting older." The imp insisted.

"I can do whatever I damn well want." Dr. Eggman hissed from inside the bathroom.

"Hey, everyone, let's go outside for some fresh air!" Vanilla called out, leading everyone outside the mansion into the backyard for some grilled food and dancing under the stars...leaving the imp alone with Dr. Eggman.

"...about your wife..."

"What?"

"You REALLY don't know, do you?"

"Maybe I know more than you THINK, Mark!"

"Good one, sir. But you need to wake up, man! What planet are you on?"

"Will you stop tap-dancing around the issue and get to the point?"

"The party is a diversion. You coming here is coinciding with several planned attacks on Central, at least from what our intelligence forces have gathered. They're being led by Shanazarans, AND, as if THAT wasn't bad enough, those are diversions as well!" The imp went on, wiping his brow. "Colonel Shadow is working with these terrorists, planning on using the resulting confusion to seize power in a coup!"

"...all right. I'll head back to Central. You take care of things here." Dr. Eggman insisted, calmly lowering his goggles back onto his eyes, a dark grin spreading across his face as he headed out of the bathroom, going for his car. He put the key in the ignition, carefully, silently, making his way down the road.

Unbeknownst to him, the imp had let Emerl back inside the house, and was nodding firmly at the Shanazaran. "He's gone." He told Emerl.

"One Mississippi, two Mississippi, three Mississippi..." Emerl began to count off, waiting...waiting...

Holding up a remote detonator in one hand.

Guess what he was about to detonate? Guess where it was stuck onto?

"Oh, and it was SUCH a nice car." The imp said sadly, shaking his head back and forth.

"And yet..."

A finger pressed a shiny red button. There was a large whining noise that rippled up from underneath Dr. Eggman's Lamborghini.

**KRAKRA-KROOOOOOM!**

"Nobody is to tell Cream about what's happening." Rouge insisted as she slipped on a stylish gold-lined black jacket with a pink heart emblazed upon the back, turning to face down Heavy and Bomb as they firmly nodded, saluting as best they could. All of them were now to commence with THEIR part of the plan since Cheese and Eggman were out of the picture. Or at least, out of Central City.

"We understand." Heavy told Rouge.

"But we gotta tell the poor girls eventually." Bomb admitted.

"I do NOT wanna be the one to do that." Rouge admitted. "That's a responsibility best left to our colonel. And we have a responsibility to help to hurry up and complete this mission."

She twirled one of her knives before sheathing it, clenching her fist tightly. "MOVE OUT!"

...

...

...

... "He's been WHAT?" One of the generals shouted into the telephone as the others sat around in Dr. Eggman's main throne room, everyone talking amongst each other. "His car...you're POSITIVE?"

They had been able to hear the news on the phone, just barely. Dr. Eggman's car had been blown up. The discovery of smoke rising from the road by the partygoers had led to a party of people going out to investigate. Upon discovering Dr. Eggman's car was gone, they'd begun to piece two and two together...

And actually finding the wrecked remains of the car had produced a distraught Vanilla who had fled the scene in tears, taking off in her own car.

"We need a replacement." A seal insisted, slamming her flipper-hand down onto the table. "Right NOW."

"Farla, nobody could hold a candle to our beloved tyrant!" Rye moaned, shaking his head back and forth.

"We don't know for sure that he's really dead!" A tiny, yellow, mouse-like sapient insisted, green eyes a glitter as she shook her head back and forth, black-spotted tail stuck straight up. "We need to form an investigative team!"

"Chewie, if YOU want to head this team, be our guest, but if you're saying you want to be in charge, don't' make me laugh, you couldn't lead a GLEE club!" A skunk sapient snapped, claws digging into the table before she finally slammed her head into it, groaning deeply. "Oh, I'm too old for this s—t."

"Strega's right, she IS too old for the position. They ALL are." Shade mused to herself as she leaned against the wall by the door, a confident glimmer in her blue eyes, looking cool as a cucumber. "They're like chickens. The head has been cut off and they're all running around aimlessly. This room might as well be empty, none of them are worth a crap."

And this was her chance to seize the top, if she played her cards right.

"Ah-hem."

Shade felt it. FELT it. It was a chill, a bitty, ice-cold chill that seemed not to tear through her body, but through her SOUL. She could feel this...THING'S...lack of spirit so easily as it calmly stood nearby in a secret doorway which had just opened up, smoothly and silently. This thing that was named Void.

He stood there with, of all people, Mephiles by his side. She tried not to make herself look disgusted as the other generals all sat down calmly, seeing their old, familiar "friend" appear.

"You can keep calm. I'M still here." Void insisted in his smooth, persuasive voice, steepling his "fingers". "Now then...what shall we talk about?"

...

...

...

...there was someone else who was about to engage in an important discussion. For you see, King/White had led Sonic straight to Knothole, and who should see his son arriving at the park but NiGHTS himself?

"I appreciate you bringing my son here." NiGHTS said. "Really, thank you so much!" He told the golem, shaking his hand enthusiastically.

"Aw, it wasn't any trouble at all sir...ma'am...uh...thing I would TOTALLY tap." White decided to finish. "I mean, you're androgynous for ANY body to find hot."

"I guess I should be flattered." NiGHTS commented as Sonic suppressed the urge to vomit bile. "But I feel the need to ask you something, son. You know about my story from what Void told you. Do you...well..." He held his hands up, eyes wide. "Wanna use me as-"

"NO!" Sonic shouted furiously. "Those are the lives of innocent people! I could NEVER use them."

"Your brother said the same thing. I'm...I'm glad Aleena raised you two right." NiGHTS spoke quietly. "So will you help me stop Void?"

"Help YOU? Look. You..." Sonic tried to steady himself, holding one hand to his head as he took in deep breaths, a sort of pain in his chest rising as he tried to get the words out. "You. Left. Us. And I'm still...I am still angry at you for that. And for what happened to Mom. In a way, our bodies are YOUR fault. I'm here, yes, because us working along with you to stop Void means we have more power to knock him down." Sonic pointed an accusatory finger at his dad, green eyes a blazing.

"But don't think I'm gonna start wanting to throw a baseball around with you anytime soon!"

"...I understand." The purple jester admitted. "It will take a lot of time for you to forgive me. Why don't we all just go get some dinner together though? There's a diner down the street, makes an EXCELLENT burger."

"Do they have soup?" Leigh wanted to know.

"Yes."

"WOOHOO! **SOUP**!" Leigh cheered, fistpumping into the air.

"Oh. Before I forget, there's something Tiara wanted me to tell you." Sonic added as NiGHTS blinked a few times. "She wanted me to tell you what Mom's last words were."

NiGHTS stiffened. His mouth fell slightly open, but no sound came out.

"She said "I couldn't keep my promise, and I'm sorry"."

And with that, the levee broke as NiGHTS began to weep, hands flying to his eyes as the tears dribbled down through the cracks, the jester falling to his knees, wailing openly. Sonic instantly felt like scrum and nervously lowered his head.

"Uh...I...I'm sorry, I...I gotta go!" He finally squeaked out, rushing off as the two chao sighed, heading after Sonic, King/White giving NiGHTS a supporting pat on the back before heading after them.

"Th-that's right, I...I thought we would grow old and die together...I so wanted that..." NiGHTS managed to blubber out as he pulled himself onto a bench, trying to calm himself down. "I promise Aleena...soon...soon." He murmured, looking up at the night sky, wishing he could see just ONE star...

"Ya know, it sounds like your dad is reaaaally hurting over what happened to his wife. Why don't you act a little nicer to him? Actually call him "Dad" instead of "you"." Shiki insisted as Leigh sipped on some soup, all three of them sitting in the Knothole diner.

"Yes, I can tell there was a lot going on, but he doesn't seem like the kind of person who would want to up and abandon his wife and children." Leigh insisted.

"Look!" Sonic yelled, getting the attention of the other dining patrons, a visible tic mark on his forehead as he slammed his gloved fists into the table. "A LOT happened, alright? LOTS and LOTS of **LOTS**!"

"Look, relax." King/White insisted. "We're all on the same side."

"Well, we kinda HAVE to stick by you. We've got nowhere else to go." Leigh insisted.

"It might be "animal instinct" or something along those lines. We just feel we'll be better off if we stick with you." Shiki agreed as they finished up their meal, heading out of the diner and for the park once again.

"I assure you, my motivations for "joining" you are utterly self-serving." White/King insisted. "But you need all the help you can get, right?" He laughed, throwing his head back slightly and letting out a sibilant series of guffaws.

"Hey. Wait." Shiki stiffened. "...do you smell that?" He whispered, his fur stiffening.

Sonic sniffed the air. The strong, familiar scent of fabric softener...mixed with the faintest hint of vanilla...TAILS?

Yes. Tails was there, at the far end of the park, standing by some thickly-grouped trees, scratching himself.

"Tails, you're here!" Sonic said cheerily, punching the air. "Great, we're all together now!"

"Indeed. I'm just glad to see you safe, brother." Tails said. "But I need to show you something important. It explains so MUCH."

King/White's body began as rigid as a board, the steady stream of ones and zeroes that made up his eyes beginning to pulsate as he let out a soft whisper.

"_Get away from him."  
_

"What the?" Sonic turned to look back at the snake-turned-golem. "What're you talkin' about-"

"He's NOT your brother! He's-"

Sonic barely jumped away in time as a set of disgusting metallic tentacles suddenly BULGED out from Tails's lower body, ironically through the "groin" region. Jumping back towards the others as they reeled away, Sonic gasped in surprise at what he was seeing.

"So...YoU hAvE cHoSeN tO sIdE wItH **tHeM**, hAvE yOu, LiTtLe BrOtHeR?"

His brother was reverting to doll form before his eyes, metallic tentacles pulsing and churning around him, dancing like the snakes that made up Medusa's hair. A sickening odor arose from Tails's possessed form as his pupils turned solid orange, his fur becoming a jet black, with metallic scales and claws slowly unsheathing from the "paw" regions, curved and wicked like tiny scythes, Tails's two signature tails lashing in the air, ending in long blades stained black with blood.

"YoU'Re **DiSgUsTiNg**."

"What...is...that...THING?" Sonic managed to get out, a clear expression of disgust upon his features as he stared at the abomination before him.

"That "thing" goes by the name of Omachao. He's the Golem of **Despair**." King/White spoke, his body shivering in disgust at being so close to one so loathsome. "How the hell did you know we were here?"

"I hAvE mY wAyS." Despair said simply, shrugging his stolen body as he circled the four of them, a pitiless smile rising on his stolen face. "ArE tHeRe No EnD tO YoUr BeTrAyAlS, **SeLfIShNeSs?** NoW yOu'Re JuSt aNoThEr ObStAcLe In OuR pAtH."

"Disguising yourself as my brother..." Sonic growled angrily, holding up his fist as wind energy began to curl around it, green and smooth. He planned to blow the golem's head clear off it's shoulders. "I'm about to teach you the ABCs. Abuse, brutality and CRYING!"

"ThIs Is No DiSgUiSe." The golem said calmly, placing it's claws upon it's stolen chest. "ThIs IS yOuR bRoThEr'S bOdY. I'm SiMpLy "BoRrOwInG" It tO kIlL mY BrOtHeR...aNd YoU, SoNiC, WILL cOmE wItH mE."

"Stay back, everyone." Sonic said as Leigh and Shiki quickly hid behind a nearby bush.

"You SURE you can handle that thing on your own?" Shiki wanted to know, Leigh ducking down as far as he could.

"It's cool. They need Tails and I alive." Sonic insisted.

"TrUe...wE nEeD yOu AlIvE. BuT iN OnE pIeCe?" Despair mused, beginning to laugh coldly as his tentacles shot out, trying to spear Sonic through his shoulder, which only failed because Sonic managed to dive out of the way.

In a desperate attempt to protect himself, Sonic snapped his fingers, calling upon the power of Metal as an enormous, round shield popped into thin air. Unfortunately Despair calmly stretched out a single arm, and a large tentacle carved a big "Z" in it before snapping it out of Sonic's hand and crushing it to pieces, batting him to the side.

"GAH! I guess shields and blockades don't work on him?" Sonic yelled out to White/King, who was dodging tentacle attacks of his own.

"Nope, not a bit, baby blue!" White/King yelled out. "But if you could keep the comments to me to a minimum?" The golem insisted as he dove under another tentacle. "I'm kind of busy at-GAAAH! NOW LOOK WHATCHA MADE ME DO!" One tentacle had grabbed his leg whilst he'd been busy talking to Sonic, and he was hoisted into the air, his "older brother" calmly smiling.

"NoW I HaVe YoUr FrIeNd. WhAt WILL iT tAkE fOr YoU tO sUbMiT?" **Despair** inquired. He suddenly let out a fake gasp, turning his attention towards the town. "PeRhApS I nEeD mOrE hOsTaGeS...lIkE, sAy, ThAt NiCe SqUiRrEl FrIeNd Of YoUrS?"

"You COWARD." Sonic growled furiously, clenching his fists so tightly his fingers almost broke through his gloves.

"Looks like he went right for your weak spot, baby blue." White/King said, shaking his head back and forth. "What're you gonna do?"

"I'm going to pick what's behind door number 3." Sonic said simply, pointing upward with one hand, placing another hand down upon the ground. "See, this is why I love magic."

"_Uhoh_." King/White whispered, Shiki and Leigh realizing what the blue hedgehog had planned as they quickly ran on top of the plastic jungle gym nearby.

**KRA-KOOOOOOOOOM! **In an instant, lightning shot down through Sonic's hand and into the ground, spreading through his body and into the ground, shocking the possessed Tails. The attack also sent waves of electrical energy through the entire town, actually causing a blackout...and also shocking anybody who wasn't insulated at all with a very large jolt.

"EEECH. " NiGHTS groaned, slowly staggering back to his feet as he smelled burning flesh. "...what's cooking?"

"I think WE are." Sally moaned as she tried to get back to HER feet. "First that tentacle thing, now THIS. What ELSE could go wrong with my day?"

"...tentacle thing?" NiGHTS said, eyes widening.

It was now pitch black out. They were in a forested area of the park, with no moon, a clouded-over sky, in the dead of night, with no city lights on for miles. Luckily, Shiki and Leigh had hyper-sensitive senses...this meant they had an advantage at finding our protagonists.

"I'll be alright...I've had worse done to me. Seriously, I was eaten alive by snakes and rats and the like." King/White said calmly, brushing dust off his shirt as Shiki and Leigh helped him up. "But we need to find Omachao. That disgustin' little octopus is REALLY weak to electrical attacks...that last blast most likely forced him out of the body he was "borrowing."

"What's his REAL body look like?" Shiki wanted to know, his body bulging as he made the transformation back into his more powerful form.

"Well..."

Meanwhile, Omachao was catching his breath, leaning against a nearby tree. "That...**sucked**." He growled. "I can't see two feet in front of me. DAMMIT, why didn't I go for a night vision upgrade?" He thought to himself. "All I can do is wait for-"

Claws slashing through him. He let out a pained gasp as he was sent reeling back, aware that someone was trying to rend him to shreds. He turned his head around, seeing Shiki raise his claws for another strike, but instead jumped out of the way, looking with an amused expression at the chao.

"I'm impressed. You're attacking me without **any **hesitation at all."

"It does feel weird to be attacking a child. But the animal I have become continues screaming inside me. Screaming "KILL OR BE KILLED"...so..." With that, Shiki launched himself full-on at Omachao, claws tearing and ripping.

"All we can do is hope that Shiki does his thing." Leigh said as he helped Sonic up to his feet.

"But how did that little brat know we were-wait." White/King stiffened again. "...do you hear that?"

They could faintly hear the sound of something laughing low and hungrily. Leigh quickly pulled Sonic up to his feet, racing over to King just in time to avoid getting chomped by the hungry fangs of the Bio-Lizard, which lashed it's tail against the grounds.

"Peekaboo! Come out, come out, wherever you are!" He laughed wildly.

"**IGNORANCE**?" Sonic gasped. "I thought you were dead like **Flippancy**!"

"Hu-who? Flippancy?" The golem asked stupidly. "Hey, where are you? I just saw you a minute ago! Stop movin' around so I can eat the one who's scent I don't remember!"

"Well, that explains how **Despair** found us." King/White said. "Leigh, I'm gonna need you to kick his ass. He's only got his sense of smell to help him move around-"

The unmistakable sound of idiot hitting tree echoed through the air, followed by a loud, childlike "OWIE" as the Bio-Lizard began to whine about how unfair it was for the lights to be out. After all, he was missing the Bernie Mac show!

"The animal I have become is screaming for me to run...but screw that noise! I'm not an elephant!" The chao snapped, rushing forward, growing in size and fist held high. "I AM A **MAN**!"

Fist met face.

THUDDA-CRUTCH! Down he went! Like Liston.

"This is gonna be a toughie. We turn the lights on and **Despair** gets us. We turn them off and **Ignorance** chomps us up..." Sonic reasoned.

"I think I have a solution..." King/White announced, suddenly clenching his fists, taking in a deep breath before an unmistakable shift came over him. Pink eyes became gold, white hair turning light blue...King had regained control of his body. "I can sense where Golems are!"

"I heard you!" The Bio-Lizard managed to yell out, knocking Leigh away and rushing towards King. "Now I'm gonna be like PAC-MAN and-"

THUDDA-CRUTCH! Down he went again!

"Much like Dolph Lundgren in Rocky 4, and I'm sure you'd appreciate the reference...I must break you." King said calmly, lifting the Bio-Lizard up.

"Actually I do, and thank you for that-OH DEAR GOD NO! NOOOO! AAA! STOP! **IT'S NOT SUPPOSED TO BEND LIKE THAT**, AAAAARRRGGGHHH!"

"...I'm reaaaaaally glad the lights are off." Sonic decided as Leigh and he nervously gulped, King finally tossing the very battered, broken and bruised Bio-Lizard to the side.

"Now...you're makin' me angry! AND YOU NO LIKE HULK WHEN HULK IS ANGRY!" The Bio-Lizard snarled, his body beginning to grow larger and larger as HE prepared to transform into his larger self.

"Oh dear, I recognize that tone of voice. He's going to go Godzilla on us, isn't he?" Sonic asked.

SCHLICKA-SCHLICKA-SCHLICKA!

The Bio-Lizard's transformation was swiftly interrupted as he fell to the ground, blood oozing out in a pool beneath him as he twitched, moaning deeply. But things weren't over yet. A swift, pulsing light at the tip of a scepter-like object shot forth, and pinkish/white energy enveloped the Bio-Lizard, surrounding him in a dome-like explosion that cast rays of light over the clearing...

Revealing Elise.

ELISE.

The human now carried a heart-ended scepter with a gold trimming, a small orb-like crystal attaching said heart to the main shaft of the scepter, with a tight-fitting pair of white gloves and boots to match her dress, and a feathery tiara, with a golden sheathe for her scepter upon her back, an x-shaped set of straps across her chest holding the sheathe there. Placing the scepter back into it's sheathe, she smiled at them before rushing forth, happily embracing King who eagerly nuzzled her cheek.

"Elise...you're back." He whispered quietly. "You came back."

"I had an oath to keep." She said simply.

"Awww, this is so sweet." Sonic said, the light from the Bio-Lizard's continuously exploding body illuminating the touching moment very nice.

"Yeah, sweet, yet somehow vaguely creepy." Leigh admitted.


	40. To Catch A Fox

_In trying to obtain the power to bring our mother back to life, we crossed the line._

_We took things too far, and we were brought down to Earth. _

_But now all that seems to pale in comparison to the threat that looms over our heads, for a madman is trying to sacrifice an entire nation for his own fiendish goals, and all the cards are in his hand._

_We're facing impossible odds. But I believe we can win._

_We just need to have a little faith. _

**Episode Thirty-Nine:**

**キツネをキャッチするには**

**To Catch A Fox **

Shadow folded his arms and tilted his head to the side as he looked at The Wax, who nodded firmly at him across his desk at his private office in Central City library. The punkish hedgehg been staring over a small manila folder comprised of various photographs and papers that dated back decades, and all of them had one thing in common.

Flicking the light on in the dark room for dramatic lightning effect, The Wax's lips became a taut line. "You definitely hit the nail dead on the head. That "son" of Dr. Eggman is definitely far older than he looks."

Each of the photographs showed images of an unmistakable sight: Images of a chao...a very particular Chao with a very particular bow and an unmistakable pair of eyes. A few times he was even disguised as a large doll, but despite how well he tried to hide it, it was obvious that Cheese the Chao had been around far longer than he should have been.

"30...40...this picture is 50 years old." Shadow murmured. "And I'd recognize this face anywhere. That is definitely him." He told his comrade.

"I just appreciate you letting me in on this." The Wax admitted as he brushed some of his long locks back. "By the way...quick opinion, what do you think of this?" He lifted up the shirt he was wearing, showing off a navel ring. "You know, pulling on a navel ring directly sends pleasurable waves to the spine. Neat, huh?"

Shadow gave him a "I'm not in the mood" look and The Wax blushed slightly before continuing. "I checked out the town that Dr. Eggman was born in too. There's plenty of documentation that he was born and grew up there, but the oldest residents don't have any recollection of anyone that even looked REMOTELY like him. And I suspect that Snively Robotnik and Gerald Robotnik-"

"Clones?" Shadow murmured.

"I snuck into the morgue and did a DNA test on my own." The Wax laughed proudly, pointing at his chest with a thumb. "Hey, the door was open and it WAS for a good cause. Sure as shooting...exact same DNA sequence. Both of them were clones at different age levels."

"Trying to make it seem like he had relatives...Central City covers it's tracks well." Shadow rubbed his chin. "I thank you for your help. I cannot imagine how much work this must have taken."

"I don't mind, really." The Wax said, shaking his head back and forth as he headed over to a small fridge by his door, opening it up and pulling out a beer. "By the way, I WAS followed around. Some Central goons decided they didn't like me asking questions."

"What happened?"

The Wax waved his hand dismissively in the air. "They're in the river."

"...ah."

It wasn't long before Shadow had to go meet with another important individual. He slunk out of the library, heading through the back alleys of Central as the moon began to slowly sink back down, morning soon to follow as the stars began to recede from the night sky. Finding what he was looking for; an enormous warehouse, Shadow slipped inside.

"Nobody is to tell Cream about what's happening." Rouge insisted as she slipped on a stylish gold-lined black jacket with a pink heart emblazoned upon the back, turning to face down Heavy and Bomb as they firmly nodded, saluting as best they could. All of them were now to commence with THEIR part of the plan since Cheese and Eggman were out of the picture. Or at least, out of Central City.

"We understand." Heavy told Rouge.

"But we gotta tell the poor girls eventually." Bomb admitted.

"I do NOT wanna be the one to do that." Rouge admitted. "That's a responsibility best left to our colonel. And we have a responsibility to help to hurry up and complete this mission."

She twirled one of her knives before sheathing it, clenching her fist tightly. "MOVE OUT!"

Shadow then flicked on a light switch, getting their attention as Rouge smirked at him.

"You came. About time, Shadow. We were just about to move out without you."

"At least you're here." Shadow said, folding his arms and looking at them all with a sense of gratitude filling him. He was well and truly glad to see them all again. It felt like old times, and nostalgia flooded through him in thick waves for a few moments before he cleared his throat. "You heard about our dearly departed dictator, correct? There's no reason to assume he's dead until we see his corpse with our own eyes."

"And nobody's caught sight of Cheese either. Cream kept asking for him, I'm worried she'll take to the streets to find him." Rouge admitted.

"Well, actually, that's sort of what I'm hoping for." Shadow admitted to them all as he walked around them and held a hand up. "This is the chance of a lifetime we've been given, and we can't waste it. I've only got one real order for you."

With that, he spun to face them all, face set like stone, firm and resolute. "Do...not...die. Got it?"

"Right." They all said, saluting on the spot.

"Our first action is simple." Shadow told them all as he led them out of the warehouse. "We're going to pay a visit to a very special little lady."

"So..."

Void leaned back in the throne as Mephiles absentmindedly read through the "Gideon's Bible" in a nearby desk, the other generals looking at the green-haired, oddly-eyed being...save for Shade, who had her arms folded and was calmly gazing not at Void, but at the inside of her eyelids.

"What will they do next? THAT'S the question for the ages. Ideas, people. I want to hear them."

"Well."

They all turned their heads. Shade had spoken up. "If I was Colonel Shadow, about to make my last stand, I'd go after a hostage. Probably Cream."

"Taking a HOSTAGE so as to appear deliberately traitorous towards the state? Oh, that is SO cliché." Void moaned, rolling his eyes. "It was old even when **I** was a little one. Your kind is so hopeless beyond belief."

Sure enough, Cream was riding with Shadow and the others in an unmarked, white-painted truck, pulling at her long ears, nervously chewing her lip. "Ohhh, I'm being kidnapped by a black hedgehog and a Cajun seductress! This is like the beginning of a porn film!"

"I can't believe you even know what porn IS." Heavy said.

"Woah, hold on, don't go bringin' RACE into this." Bomb added.

"We'll explain everything soon enough, okay, sweetie?" Rouge said gently from the passenger seat, giving Cream a sympathetic smile.

...

...

...

...the Bio-Lizard was stumbling around, head spinning as it tried to get it's bearings, tripping to the ground as smoke rose off his body. Elise's little "present" to him had turned his skin crispy like a fried chicken, and an immense healing factor didn't keep him from feeling pain.

He finally managed to steady himself, only to get his neck snapped left, right, left, right over and over as Elise struck him over and over again with her scepter, scurrying around him in a blur, letting out a "Sorry, sorry, sorry" in a slightly apologetic tone every time she did so.

"OW! OW! OW! I'M! BEING! ASSAULTED! BY! SAILOR! MOON!" He howled out, finally hitting the ground in a bloody mess, tail flopping uselessly on the ground as Elise leaped backwards, pulling out something from the folds of her outfit. She held it in the air, a sparkling, golden-red ball which she tossed in his direction.

Instantly the Bio-Lizard was enveloped in flame and he tried to roll around to put the flames out, howling in pain as **Selfishness** smirked from inside the folds of King's body, inwardly patting the snake sapient on his "head". "You sneaky devil. You told me she was good, but not THIS good. And to think, you've been keeping her all to yourself?"

"You have a thing for red-heads, eh?" King mused to himself, an unmistakable smirk on his scaly features as he kicked the Bio-Lizard squarely in the gut, launching him up into the air, pulling out his scimitar and holding it high.

**SCHLUCHA-SCHLORK!** The Bio-Lizard became impaled on King's scimitar, his mouth wide open, eyes bugging out as he let out a long, pained squeak.

"Again, sorry, but you DID try to eat me before." Elise apologized.

"You liaaaaar." He wailed as King put his sandaled foot up to the impaled lizard, kicking him off the sword and to the ground. "I've never s-seen you be-before in muh-my life!"

"Huh?" Elise gave the golem an odd look. "What's going on here?"

"**Ignorance** apparently had his memories wiped." King realized. "Poor idiot doesn't even remember his precious Sonia."

"I can smell you all just fine b-but how can YOU sense me at ALL? It's all d-dark out..." The Bio-Lizard muttered as he tried to get back to his feet, only to be knocked to his knees and whacked over the head by a familiar bearded figure.

"We of Soleanna are skilled in the ways of reading the rhythm of the Earth. We can see the pulsing waves that ebb off of all things that come from the Creator. Every living thing on Earth is connected to it, and is as easy to see in the dark as they are in the light." David explained, smiling over at Sonic and Leigh.

"Old man! You're back! Hey, how'd you find us?" Sonic wanted to know, scratching his head.

"I was in Central with Elise. We did swear to protect King, and Elise felt it was time to return to work. We couldn't FIND him in Central , though, so we've been scouring the country for the past few days trying to find him." David then pointed at the Bio-Lizard. "And what should we sense but trouble in our search. It was providence that he happened to be here, sheer providence."

"There's three Golems here. Me..." White said, speaking up momentarily from King's mouth. "**Ignorance **here, and-"

"And an IMMENSELY powerful being further in the forest." David added. "It's disgusting...it feels like worms are crawling over my soul just being close to it." The old man shivered on the spot, clinging to himself and shaking his head back and forth.

"That would be **Despair**. He tends to have that effect on people. On the other hand, he has a marvelous singing voice." White mused, sniggering slightly.

David rubbed his chin. "There's another force that's even stronger than them all in the town. A jester we saw that reminded us of the tales of old about-"

"THAT would be my dad." Sonic said.

David's eyes bugged out. "He's one of THEM?" Why had Sonic not said anything-

"No, no, he's not. The point is kind of moot at the moment-wait." Sonic snapped his fingers. "Look, I found out **Despair**'s weakness. But I'm gonna need a LITTLE help in catching him off guard. Do you carry bombs?" He asked of David.

David held up a small knapsack he had hanging from his shoulder, nodding firmly. "Yes, flash-bang grenades, incendiary bombs, flares..."

"Well then, let's go track down ol' "Lion King" and help him out before he's turned into an ingredient for White Castle." Sonic decided.

"Hey, **Blue Blur**." White said, speaking up again from King's mouth. "'s something you HAVE to know about **Despair**. He's not an ordinary golem, and that's saying something in itself..."

Not ordinary indeed.

Shiki panted and heaved, his chest feeling as though it had been submerged in burning coals as **Despair** calmly stood there, dusting himself off, oil running down like blood from his body...or was it truly blood? It was red, that's for sure, but didn't smell right.

And how, Shiki wondered, how could this thing not be dead by now?

"Damn you..." The lion-esque chao muttered as he clenched and unclenched his fist over and over. "No matter how many times I cut you, you just don't **DIE**! WHY AREN'T YOU DEAD!"

"Hey, what's going on?"

_Oh hell no._ Shiki turned to see that Sally had come back with a shotgun in a vain attempt to try and help the others. Unfortunately, the moment she held up her flashlight and focused it in on what the lion-like chao was fighting, she then saw she'd made a terrible mistake...it was HIM, the thing with the tentacles that had attacked her before and snatched up Tails.

"Oh, _hell_ no, not YOU." She whimpered, eyes bugging out slightly as **Despair** smiled cruelly, flicking a single claw in the air, a tentacle snatching her up.

"NO!" Shiki roared, leaping forward to try and pry her free of the metallic tentacle only to have one snatch him up as well. The two were now held up in the air as if caught by some monstrous segmented metal fishing hooks, with Despair calmly filing his little claws on a rock he'd picked up from the ground.

"Aww, how cute! A brave little girl, coming to help her friends. It really tugs at the heartstrings." **Despair** mused as he looked upon Sally. "You are just so cuuuute. What to do with you? Hmm..." He put down the rock, using several tentacles to hoist himself up to Sally, unaware that a form was stealthily moving towards him as he had his back turned. "You know, I'm a fan of "apple pie", personally. And since you were sucha brave little girl, I think it's only fair I give you a reward."

Omachao caressed Sally's tear-stained cheek with a single claw, smiling tenderly as he reached down and rubbed her stomach. A moment later though, the rock he'd put down CLONKED him over the head, catching him off guard and forcing him to drop them all to the ground. Shiki rolled across the ground, catching Sally as she fell as Omachao teetered in the air, whipping around...

Coming face-to-face with Sonic.

"I can't freakin' BELIEVE that YOU, of all people, were a Golem." Sonic snapped as he clenched his fist tightly, taking up a fighting stance. "I admit, you really had me fooled, you little BRAT. Time for a spanking!"

"Aww, good to see you too, Sonic." Cheese said cheerily, hands on his hips as he tilted his head to the side and looked Sonic over.

"Spare me the pleasantries. Let's skip the little chat and get right to the part where I kick your can." Sonic laughed.

"You must feel really stupid not guessing I was a golem. But you know, ya can't judge a book by it's cover, Tubbenstein!"

A small tic mark appeared on Sonic's forehead as Cheese giggled, launching several tentacles straight at Sonic to spear him through the arms.

"STICK IT, SHORTY!" Sonic snapped, his fist bashing the tentacles away, much to Cheese's surprise. The golem frowned and launched a few more tentacles in his direction as Shiki took Sally to safety, orange eyes glowing brightly as he attacked over and over again, continuously being blocked.

"How in the?"

"Not bad, huh? I remembered that metal has a magnetic field to it. By combining my fist with the power of Metal and using the power of Electricity to reverse the polarity of the magnetic field it has, I can repel your attack easily. Positive and positive are clashing together and bouncing off each other."

Sonic held his metal-encased fist up, smirking. "Basic science stuff. It pays to be prepared."

"Sneaky little hedgehog, aren't you?" Cheese muttered balefully before suddenly breaking out into a grin as he stretched a looong tentacle from his body out into the forest, tugging Tails into sight of the enormous flashlight that Amy had dropped which was illuminating the place they were in. "I suppose it's time to go back to fighting with your brother."

"I KNEW you were gonna try that. But like I said...IT PAYS TO BE PREPARED." Sonic said with a smirk.

David tossed a flash-bang grenade through the air, and it landed directly in front of Cheese, flooding his optic sensors. Sonic covered his eyes as Leigh, using his keen senses, leaped through the air and plucked Tails away from the evil chao. All of them took off running, Cheese reeling away for a moment before racing after them.

It wasn't long before he was now facing not merely Sonic, David and Leigh, but Shiki, Elise and King/White, who were all standing there, ready for a fight with him as the Bio-Lizard rubbed his sore head, burn marks all over his body from his "punishment".

"How come YOU keep getting beaten? You didn't have the Metallurgists to fight." Despair wanted to know, a confused expression coming to his features.

"Sailor Moon over there and "Tuxedo Mask" have something in common with snake boy. All of them can sense me in the dark!" The Bio-Lizard whined.

"So...you're King." Cheese said calmly. "You can truly sense where other beings are due to some sixth sense?"

"Seventh sense. My sixth sense is I can tell when squirrels are afraid. It runs in the family, even though I'm a vegetarian." He glanced over in Sally's direction as she nervously rubbed the back of her neck, nodding in agreement.

"Dammit. Curse you, **Selfishness**. Using your host's body like that. This is irritating." Cheese mumbled.

But then his face lit up like a kid at Christmas, and a small, evil smile popped onto his features before he turned to the Bio-Lizard. "Quick question, Bio-Lizard. How many times have you died fighting against these sapients?"

"I dunno. A bunch. A bunchy-bunch. Why?" Ignorance asked.

"They've done a number on ME, too. If this keeps up, we won't stand a chance." Cheese decided, rubbing his chin.

"Yeah, I guess our designer will have to fix us up ag-" The Bio-Lizard began to say...suddenly stopping in mid-sentence when he realized why Cheese was looking at him like that. Tears began to brim in his eyes as he stepped backwards. "_No_." He whispered, shaking his head back and forth, an icy chill going through his blood. "Oh please, **Despair**, _please_, no..."

"I regret this, but it must be done." The chao said softly, holding up an arm as he locked his tentacles around **Ignorance** and pulled him close.

"Brother, please, I'm begging you-" The Bio-Lizard sobbed.

"Shhhhhh." His "brother" stopped him, putting a single claw to the lizard's lips. "Shhhh..._shhhhh_. Don't worry. This'll be verrry pleasant for you."

"He WOULDN'T." Sally gasped, hands flying to her mouth as she realized what this thing had happened.

"Oh dear God-" Sonic managed to gasp out.

It was a tender and intense kiss. The chao held his hands around the other golem's head, and they saw it's tongue enter the lizard's mouth, deeper and deeper. It seemed as if the chao was trying to taste the very THROAT of it's fellow golem, despite **Ignorance's** desperate struggles.

Then the lizard began to be DRAINED. It's body became emaciated and thin, it's muscles and fat wearing away as an unmistakable sucking sound issued from the chao's mouth. It finally pulled away, brushing it's mouth with it's arm as the Bio-Lizard stood there, wavering back and forth as the others saw it begin to dissolve from the feet up.

"He...he **ate** his own brother?" King managed to get out, his voice barely audible, Sonic's face revealing clear disgust that was shared by all the others standing around.

The Bio-Lizard let out a final wail, dissolving away. "_Sonia, help m-_"

And with that...he was gone.

"Well." **Despair** licked his lips. "I can detect all of you now. **Ignorance's** keen sense of smell is quite handy. My gosh, he was wonderful. **Delicious**, even."

He stiffened suddenly, smelling someone. "Wait...is that...ahhhh. I know that smell. I can tell even from here. He's close. To think, NiGHTS would appear again...no doubt to help his darling sons..."

The golem stretched his arms out, his many tentacles shooting forth, ripping through Earth in an attempt to impale them all as our protagonists scattered for it, Sonic leaping backwards and launching a lightning-charged blast in Cheese's direction, the golem also leaping away, laughing.

"This golem does not fool around." Elise murmured, tossing some of her bombs through the air, small explosions rippling and forcing the golem back slightly. Unfortunately, Cheese wasn't just limiting himself to one method of attack: he ripped up chunks of the Earth, tossing them rapid-fire at Elise, one of them knocking her backwards through the air.

Luckily, King caught her, leaping up into a tree and putting her down on a limb. "Be careful, alright?" White said, his hair glistening as he took over King's body anew. "This guy makes someone like **me** look like a choir boy. A freakin' CHOIR BOY."

"I guess I should be flattered by your fear." **Despair **said cheerily. "Now come, let me eat you! I can make it quick, even pleasurable, if I go about it right."

"I'd give you diarrhea." White wisecracked, flipping the golem off and sticking his tongue out.

Meanwhile, Tails was slowly returning to consciousness as NiGHTS patted him on the head. "Ugggghhh...ohhhh." He shivered. "I FELT him, Dad, I...I FELT him inside of me, it...it was like someone was wrapping my soul up in seaweed!" He hung his head, shaking it back and forth, murmuring sadly. "And to think, CHEESE of all people was a Golem...I really liked him."

NiGHTS sighed quietly. "I know...I'm sorry. I'll have to think of-"

"Hey!"

They turned their heads, seeing Shiki and David and Sally coming through the brush, and NiGHTS blinked in surprise. "Sally, you shouldn't have tried to play the heroine."

"I know, I'm sorry." She admitted. "But things got really, really bad just now. That freaky tentacle boy...it...it swooped over that lizard thing and-and..."

She couldn't even finish the sentence, but NiGHTS could guess what she was saying. A grim, disturbed expression filled his face. "...I see. That's...jeez." He shook his head back and forth, chewing his lip. "We need a plan."

_"This is my fault."_ Tails thought to himself. _"We're all in danger because I let HIM get his claws on me."_ He hung his head in his hands, shaking his head back and forth, growling to himself. _"And if this keeps up, that golem will take the fight into town..."_

An idea came to him. Tails turned to his father. "Father, quick question. You're good with magic, right?"

"REAAAALLY good." NiGHTS said, a hint of pride in his voice. "Why?"

"Well...I was able to learn some things whilst I was one with the robot..." Tails motioned for his father to come closer, whispering in his lack of ear. "First we _whisper-whisper-whisper_..."

...

...

...

... "You can't hide anymore." **Despair** commented as he put his hands on his hips. Our other heroes had lost trees to hide behind, the whole place had been leveled by the golem's tentacles and the flurry of attacks they'd been sending at him. Now all around them was a flat, ugly, torn-up plain, and they were open targets. "Come on...step right up, don't be shy-"

Slow clapping. The golem turned his head, seeing NiGHTS stepping into the open, a calm expression on his features. "...well-well-well! I'd wager you ate a thespian, didn't you?"

Sonic raised a nonexistent eyebrow. "Dad, what're you up to?"

"Don't tell me you plan on taking me head on in some vaguely heroic fashion?" Cheese mused, an interested, amused expression dancing across his robotic features, orange eyes aglow.

"Oh, little ol' ME take YOU on? I'm not really the fisticuffs type." NiGHTS said, waving his hands in the air in a defensive fashion. Cheese's tentacles slowly withdrew back into his body as he rubbed his chin, unaware of whom was flying towards him from above.

_"What is he trying to pull?" _Cheese mused. _"He's clearly up to __something__, what-"_

He suddenly understood and glanced upward, seeing Tails in a dive-bomb. His tentacles snatched the doll, pinning him to the ground by his side, smiling coldly. "Trying to grab me when I'm being distracted by your daddy? Oh, no, no, no." The golem shook his head. "That's just...that is so LOW. It's so uninspired. It's so cliché it's almost invisible."

He put one clawed hand on Tails's head, pulling him up. "Your little one is going to be my plaything all over again. And here I thought he was supposed to be the SMART one." He shook his head back and forth. "Poor little thing...and to think, now he has to watch me rip his family to shreds."

"Don't...you...mock...my...family." NiGHTS whispered, eyes blazing like cold fire, holding up his fingers.

SNAP.

In an instant, an enormous, metallic wall that was bristling with electrical power rose up around the caught Tails and Cheese, completely covering them up, sealing them in utter darkness as Cheese let out a furious scream of surprise and anger, Sonic gaping at the sight for an instant before angrily turning on his father.

"That was WAY past f—ked up, what the HELL do you think you're-" He snarled, shaking his dad back and forth.

"Your brother insisted I do this. And he said "I know Sonic isn't going to be alright with this, but we need to do it anyway"."

Sonic let go of his father, growling angrily and heading over to the wall, calling into it. "Tails? Bro? Can you hear me?"

"I'm alright, really." Tails shouted from inside. "You just get going and deal with the other golems. You keep "that day" from happening, I'll keep Cheese here out of everyone else's hair."

Tails turned to Cheese, smiling with pride as the chao pouted, arms folded. "When you tried to use my body, I got a good look into your mind for a while, and I saw that you're DEATHLY afraid of electricity. Apparently you got thrown out of a car in an accident and hit an electric fence shortly after your birth...that would have been traumatic for anyone, but it was one of the first sensual experiences you ever had."

He shook his head back and forth. "It must have been horrible for you. And I knew that another electrical barrier would keep you back twofold: one because of your body's weakness to the element, and also because of your fear."

"GRRRRR..." Cheese growled furiously, punching the ground. "Darn you, darn you, DARN you!" This was one time where smelling where Tails was wasn't going to be helpful. He was well and truly stuck. He had no doubt Tails was not going to let him out no matter how badly he hurt him. "So you'll just keep me in here forever?"

"Until "that day" passes. If you're lucky, we'll stick you in a nice cell instead of in "the chair"." Tails told him. "I'm thinkin'..." He tapped his chin in a thoughtful manner. "Maybe something eight by four...no windows...a commode in the middle of the room."

White, meanwhile, had taken off, rushing as fast as he could through the forest as the first rays of sunlight began to waver over the world. "Heh-heh-heh. Sonia is dead, the Bio-Lizard too, Metal's stuck in a jar like a bug, Eggman's miles away and ol' octopussy just got trapped. All that's left are Void and my favorite Zealot, heh-heh-heh."

"What do you have planned?" King's soul wanted to know, frowning slightly inside the body.

"Don't you remember? I want EVERYTHING. And this means...a trip to Central." White mused, rubbing his hands together.

Tails folded his arms, shaking his head back and forth, looking amused by all of this. "It's just funny...I can't believe how easily you tricked everyone into thinking you're just a chao. You tricked Vanilla and Cream so easily-wait." Tails frowned. "Wait a minute. Are they in on this?"

"What? No. They think I'm just a chao that happens to have been made from **Cruelty's **DNA."

Tails clenched a fist tightly, looking angrily at the chao in the direction of his voice since he couldn't see well in the dark either. "So you've been deceiving those poor women! And Cream, that poor, sweet little girl..." Tails shook his head back and forth. "That's awful...that poor child."

Cheese blinked a few times, his body transforming back into his normal, "Cheese" appearance instead of the metallic form he normally had, one stubby "hand" going to his mouth. "...it's true. They're known as a loving mother and a devoted daughter to the rest of the world." He lay down upon the ground, voice becoming quiet, subdued.

"You were right, many, many decades ago I was in an accident." Old memory began to fog up Cheese's mind as he felt the smell of fields and flowers flood into his nostrils. "...back then, my designer, my "father", enjoyed little drives out at night around Mobius...enjoyed seeing the land he reigned over in secret, and he was driving me, his very latest and also first creation, around Central City's outskirts. We were headed to one of his old laboratories, which was protected by an electrical fence. I told him he should have had his lights on, but no, he said he'd driven this road a dozen times, he knew it like the back of his hand."

Cheese shuddered. "He hit something. I don't even remember what it was. All I know for sure is I went flying out of the window as the car spun around and around and then...so much...so much PAIN." He clung to himself, shivering madly as he recalled the terrible stinging, the agonizing burning that had run through him, forcing him into unconsciousness. "I gained a fear of cars from that too, and for years I refused to get in one ever again. But...but then..."

He smiled broadly. "Cream, she...she insisted that Vanilla take us to get ice cream. She had me in her lap. There was another accident, Vanilla was forced to swerve the car when a truck ran a light and Cream hadn't put her seat belt on. I felt that sensation of flying, I was CERTAIN I was going to be hurt again, but...but Cream held onto me the whole time, she bore the brunt of what happened. We slammed into a fruit stand...she was badly hurt, but I...I was spared. And Vanilla, she rushed us both to the hospital in her arms and stayed with us all through the night."

Cheese sighed and rubbed his cheek. "And I wondered then, "Is this what it means to be in a "real" family? Void told me that it wasn't possible for me to feel love, especially not since I was a machine in basic design but...but I realized that I did feel something so much like it for the two. I asked Cream and Vanilla to be spared from what would happen. Vanilla cares for **Cruelty**, my little "brother", and Cream would be a good mate." He smiled wistfully, sweet dreams entering his head.

"...so...you...**like-like** her?" Tails asked.

"Yes, I...I believe I do." Cheese commented, beginning to sing a song as he transformed back into his metallic form, pulling out a small harmonica from his chest compartment.

**Toot!**

"_**Then I saw her face! Now I'm a believer! Not a trace! Of doubt in my mind! I'm in love!"**_

He promptly blew another note on the harmonica, long and drawn out.

"_**Ooooh, yeah! I'm a believer, I couldn't leave her if I tried!"**_

Tails blinked stupidly, taking all of this in before speaking up again. "You know, I just realized something. You NEED me and Sonic and Shadow and the others for your plan, but if we just, I dunno, left the country, you would have been very much, well, "screwed". All your efforts would have been for naught."

"But you remained."Omachao said, stopping the song. "Without any regard for your own safety, despite the logical choice of simply leaving when the "going was good", you stayed behind. And you did that because at the core of it, your species are not just simply social animals, but compassionate. Altruistic. Sure, you could have taken all your family and friends out with you, but if there's even the slightest chance that innocent people would be hurt by what we would do, you couldn't risk it."

He blew on the harmonica for a moment before shrugging. "That's just the kind of people that you are, be you sapient OR human."

"_...I can't tell if I'm being complimented or insulted_." Tails thought to himself as Omachao went back to playing the harmonica, going into a round of "Beautiful Dreamer".


	41. Countdown, Part One

_In trying to obtain the power to bring our mother back to life, we crossed the line._

_We took things too far, and we were brought down to Earth. _

_But now all that seems to pale in comparison to the threat that looms over our heads, for a madman is trying to sacrifice an entire nation for his own fiendish goals, and all the cards are in his hand._

_We're facing impossible odds. But I believe we can win._

_We just need to have a little faith. _

**Episode Forty:**

**カウントダウン、パート****1**

**Countdown, Part One!**

"Oh, look. This just won't do, uh-uh. Just-won't-do." Bean commented as he looked down at the blood-splattered chest. Regrettably, he'd gotten his favorite neckerchief covered in blood as well. Exploding people into a billion pieces tended to DO that, yeah. Stepping over the stupid idiots that had tried to "jump" him in a back alley in Knothole, he continued to keep moving. After all, he still had quite a bit of work to do, and he needed to pay a visit to an old "comrade in arms".

"So this is Knothole?" Omega commented as he and Big made their way into the town, meeting up with Johnny and Ewan. The Shanazaran regarded the town with vague interest, looking at the church to his right with a sense of "Oh not THIS again" going through his body. The familiar structure of the church brought up bad memories in his mind.

"We're just glad to have you back here." Johnny said, looking over in Big's direction. "We've got a lot to fill you in on, but what brings you here so quickly, and where have you been?"

"I've been meeting with other Shanazarans." Omega explained calmly, holding a clawed hand up and gesticulating. "We've been moving around Mobius and getting some things in place..."

"Aww, look at you. First you wanted to destroy all of Mobius, now you're trying to save it. It's really decent of you." Big said cheerily, patting the Shanzaran on the back with a big smile.

Omega would have frowned if he had a face. Instead he sighed and held his head in a single clawed hand, letting out a deep, long sigh. "I am not...trying...to SAVE Mobius. I am trying...to CHANGE it. Your kind didn't recognize my species, I want you to acknowledge our existence. And to do that, you have to change."

"How come the little raccoon aussie girl ain't with you?" Leigh wanted to know, titling his head to the side in confusion, scratching his head. "I saw her enter the city."

"She went here? But she was supposed to just go HOME!" Omega remarked, red eyes widening in surprise as he silently cursed inside his head. "What on Earth is she trying to do? What's she up to, the silly girl?"

"She's a strong girl. I think she'll be able to take care of herself." Big insisted gently, patting Omega on the back once again.

"Why am **I** carrying all of your things?" Nack yelled out, finally making it over to them, having been lugging all of their belongings on his back, the poor weasel-wolf hunched over like Quasimodo, groaning in pain. "YOU ALL **SUCK**!"

"Nobody LIKES you, Nack." Ewan snapped.

"Well, we need to show you a few things." Johnny commented, motioning for the cat and the robot to follow him and Ewan. The four of them made their way through Knothole, finally stopping at the unmistakable form of a giant, electrified compound. With two occupants in particular.

"Your brother is IN there?" Big asked Sonic as Sonic gave a momentary "stick his tongue out and pull his eyelid down" gesture to Omega. "With...with a GOLEM?"

"Yes, indeed." David agreed as he did some crunches, trying to get in shape. "It was QUITE the fight, I assure you. But we've still got much work to do. I'm going to be heading back to Central, myself. We need to find out what Colonel Shadow is up to!"

"And find out where King/White went to." Sonic added. "He just up and ran off!"

"Your brother's pretty brave." Leigh mumbled nervously as he looked over the electrified prison. "I'd lose my mind if I had to spend more than a few minutes with that...THING."

"My bro's a real survivor. He won't let that thing beat him at mind games or anythin'. We've seen "Silence of the Lambs", like, four times. He's not going to get tricked into accidentally letting Oma-a-hole out." Sonic insisted.

Unfortunately that's exactly what happened, because at that moment the entire structure suddenly-

I jest. You really thought I was just gonna let him out like that? You guys sure are gullible!

In reality, I'm going to take you back to Knothole, where Knuckles the Echidna was in a bar, speaking with Jet the Hawk. Poor Jet had not been doing so well. Since it's scientifically impossible for birds to grow beards, his feathers had instead turned wild and thick. And yes, I know this is a world where if you hold glowing rocks you can turn gold and fly around, but still...no beard. The hawk's voice had gotten into a hoarse, groaning and haggard sort of yowling atrocity. In fact, he sounded like a drunk turkey.

_**"Nobody knoooows...how dry I aaaaaaam..."**_ Jet sang out, eyes red and bloodshot, mumbling as he lifted another bottle of "Sam Adams" to his lips. "Losing Wave was just the first blow. I quit my job...lost my house...I'm living with my mom again in her attic..."

"How have you been doing?" The echidna asked sympathetically, patting Jet on the shoulder, a genuinely concerned expression in his purple eyes.

"Oh...I haven't showered. Haven't clipped my feathers. In fact, a few days ago I stabbed a kitchen fork into my leg to see if I could still feel pain."

"And?" Knuckles asked, tilting his head to the side slightly.

"I can." Jet sighed, putting the bottle of beer back down onto the bar, the bartender rolling his eyes and deciding to move away from this ridiculous conversation.

"I heard from Colonel Shadow about you quitting, but...Jet, it's only been a WEEK since you quit. Which makes the feathers all the more impressive." Knuckles added, nodding his head slightly.

"I'm half Hungarian." Jet muttered back, head hitting the bar as he let out a long, prolonged squawk.

"...look, I know what'll cheer you up. I heard that tomorrow there's gonna be orbital wobble and we'll get a chance to see the sun and the moon in the sky together, almost like they're coming into alignment!" Knuckles patted him on the back, turning to look up at the television. "Hey bartender, put on the news so we can see when it happens!"

The bartender held up a remote and flipped the sports channel to the news, which promptly showed off...smoke was rising up from the streets. A military truck had EXPLODED.

"WHAT THE?" Jet gasped, eyes widening as Knuckles quickly rushed out of the bar, Jet gaping as the news anchor began to address everyone in the bar, all eyes upon the television set.

"The West Block. A scene of violence as several police forces saw their vehicles come under attack...a garrison here is now shown being under attack. As part of the McCannon Act, the government has been demanding that all citizens stay indoors and off the streets. Any civilians caught on the streets will be detained and imprisoned."

"What the heck is going on?" The human bartender muttered, blinking stupidly.

What was going on indeed. Brigadier General Strega moved down the hall in Central City HQ, eyes ablaze with furious intent as she muttered under her breath. "The cornered rat is biting the cat, eh? Trying to put up one final struggle and go out with a bang."

"Any OTHER clichés you wanna use?" General Chewie commented, rolling her eyes. "Though I understand your point. His precious little friends would have been left alone if he'd just stayed quiet."

"How many have we identified so far?" Strega wished to know of a green-scaled dragon sapient who was acting lieutenant. The dragon sapient saluted, snapping to attention.

"We've identified Vector, Bomb, Rouge..."

"ALL of them have decided to join in? And you haven't taken them down becaaaause?" Strega wanted to know, arms folded as the dragon nervously rubbed the back of his neck.

"Sir, I mean-er, ma'am, he's taken Cream as a hostage and-" The dragon began to say.

"Forget her, Captain Draco."

"..._MA'AM_?" The dragon gaped.

"We ONLY need SHADOW alive. **Ignore the girl**. And ERADICATE Colonel Shadow's men."

"...yes ma'am." Draco mumbled sadly as he left the hallway to relay the orders to the platoons around the city. There was, after all, only a handful of them. They would soon be outnumbered.

"They're completely outnumbered." A Mexican-accented monkey insisted as he and his platoon got into position in an alley, loaded up with rapid-firing carbine rifles, trying to move in closer to the West Block region of Central, to quickly squelch Shadow's would-be coup. "This really is a shame, though."

"How come?" One of his troop members asked.

"I saw his work in action in the Shanazaran Campaign. He was very good at long-range attacks."

"How does it work anyhow?"

"Well, it's like..." The monkey held a hand up in the air. "He'd take a "bomb" out of something and store a burst of flame inside of it, then launch it through the air and FWOOOOM! The target got all burnt up."

"What would the "bomb" look like?" One soldier nervously asked, eyes slowly widening.

"Usually something fireball shaped. He also liked giving it little "eyes". He was kind of creative and sick that way. Why?"

The soldier pointed up, and they all glanced up to see a small, dancing little fireball with "eyes" that was bouncing around atop a windowsill above, smirking down at them, charged now with chaos energy as reddish/black specks flew off of it like it was a Fourth of July sparkler.

"Boo." It said cheerily.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" The men all ran for it as an enormous fiery explosion rocked the alleyway as Shadow and the others maneuvered through an enormous warehouse, another platoon on their tail.

"Hurry up! They're carrying Cream with them, they can't move as fast as they'd like!" The platoon leader insisted.

"I should be insulted." Cream said, pouting as she bounced off of Rouge's back over and over, holding onto her tightly, arms wrapped around her chest as Rouge and the others ducked into a room that appeared to be-

Oh dear. It didn't have any other exit. Instantly the army platoon poured in, aiming their weapons directly at the group, Vector groaning darkly.

"Crappity-crap-crap-crap. Boss, blast them!"

"I can't. I don't want to risk it." Shadow insisted, shaking his head back and forth. "But there's no way you're free to shoot, so I'd imagine we've reached a stalemate."

"Oh, no, we're free to shoot." The platoon leader said, shrugging.

"WHAT?" Rouge gaped, eyes widening in surprise.

"Free to shoot anyone but YOU, Colonel Shadow." The platoon leader added, raising his hand to give the order for his men to fire as Cream paled, her tiny body shaking as she clung to Rouge for dear life.

BANG-BANG-BANG!

All of the platoon leader's troops found their hands and feet were now bloody stumps as the Wax leapt down from the rafters above with Wave, holding up their respective carbine rifles and glaring balefully at the platoon leader.

"That's the question I wanted to ask the most...and that's the answer I was afraid I would get." Shadow mumbled quietly as he turned to look apologetically at Cream for a brief moment before kicking the platoon leader in the back of the head with a spinning back kick, knocking him across the room, making him collide with the wall in a satisfying "TWHUNKA-THUMP" sound.

Cream didn't even try to resist the tears that were brimming in her eyes as she fell to her knees, weeping openly. "They were...they were gonna...why would...why?"

"I'm sorry." Rouge said softly, gently kneeling by Cream. How awful, she thought to herself, gently holding the child and trying to comfort her. "I'm so, so sorry..."

"Are you INSANE? You're gonna kill a LITTLE GIRL just to get at a couple of rebels?" Bomb yelled angrily, kicking one solider in the back and knocking him to the ground.

"I think Mighty would have agreed with me...that's more f—ked up than Rodney Freakin' King." Vector said, crossing his arms and shaking his "head" left and right.

"I wanna go home." Cream whimpered out into Rouge's chest as the bat anthro gently stroked her head, Shadow sighing slightly as he knelt down by the little bunny.

"We'll try and get you out of this safely, and prove to you that we're the ones you should be rooting for." Shadow informed her, speaking quietly and as tenderly as he could. "If all goes well, you'll be home by tomorrow night in time for your mother to read you a bedtime story."

As Colonel Shadow and his men moved out of the warehouse to join with other troops who had defected over to him, he saluted at a familiar, green-scaled dragon sapient. "I appreciate your help with this."

"My men are happy to help. But...are you going to tell Cream about-" Draco wanted to know.

"I don't think she needs to know just yet." Shadow insisted, shaking his head back and forth. "Just try and lure as many of them away from us as you can. "They're" going to make their move soon, I'm sure of it." The black and red-furred hedgehog growled, clenching his fist tightly.

"DAMMIT!" Strega roared angrily as she punched the wall in the communications room, several guards standing around with some corporals manning the radios. "Why the hell haven't they been taken CARE of? There's only a few of them!"

"There WERE." One corporal spoke up, finishing off a broadcast. "From what we're getting in our reports, they've gotten reinforcements!"

"Where the hell did they get...just, just tell me how many casualties we've got." Strega mumbled. "GOD, I need a friggin' cigarette." She spoke under her breath, reaching into her thick jacket and lighting up, holding the cigarette to her mouth.

"0 dead." The corporal informed her.

Strega nearly SWALLOWED the cigarette. "WHAT?" The skunk sapient yelled, eyes bugging out as she whipped her head in the corporal's direction. "NO casualties?"

"87 wounded-no, 95 wounded, but 0 dead."

"No deaths...but plenty of wounded men? They're...GOING EASY on us?" Strega realized, clutching at her throat as she struggled to breathe through her hate, choked up on fury and disbelief.

"Even the snipers are avoiding lethal shots." The corporal reported, shrugging slightly.

"Well, send out the Tropic Thunder platoon and Red Fang squad! I want the heads of every single one of Shadow's little friends on my desk in ten minutes!" Strega snarled, trying to relight a new cigarette, her paws shaking wildly.

"They STILL haven't caught Shadow, huh?" General Rye inquired as he and General Farla sat with Shade in the main meeting hall, the rat pacing back and forth. "What is Brigadier General Strega doing? Painting her toenails?"

"From what the reports have said, Shadow's men are moving forward without even killing ANY of our men." Farla informed him.

"Pure military skill...but can they keep it up?"

Shade folded her arms, slowly closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. "It appears as though Shadow, the "Hero of the Shanazaran Campaign" has gone "soft"."

"No kidding. What could be going through his mind?" Rye mused, going to look out the window, rubbing his chin.

"But you Central forces can't even STOP him. You're even worse. You're just little boys playing at war."

"...wanna run that by me AGAIN?" Rye mumbled, turning around, dark brown eyes suddenly turning to angry slits.

"Face it. Your city has never once faced a real attack beyond that rouge Metallurgist, Nina, who took over that Shanazaran's body." Shade informed the rat, spreading her arms wide and shaking her head back and forth. "I mean, it SOUNDS nice to be able to say "Thanks t Void, we've been made safe", but really...I consider not having any defensive experience quite the handicap."

"...if you want to get out a hanky and pretend that was a sneeze, I'm willing to go along with that. But if you've got something to SAY...then you'd better come out and SAY it, Ms. Shade." Rye said calmly, coming over to her, speaking quietly, dangerously.

"Your offense is excellent, but your defense just isn't up to snuff. Why don't you just let ME take control for a little while?" Shade remarked calmly.

"Don't get ahead of yourself." Rye told her, slamming his paw down on the table in front of her. "I can APPRECIATE the vanity of ambition, but remember...you are our HOSTAGE." He pked her in the center of her head, frowning slightly. "You're only here because you being here keeps the dogs of war over in Nocturne from rebelling."

"Besides, you SAW what we have in the underground labs. You'd still try to defy us, knowing what's down there?" Farla inquired, looking smug.

"HA-HA-HA-HA!" Shade began to laugh in an almost hysterical fashion, finally breaking off into tiny giggles as Rye and Farla watched on, mouths slightly agape, looking completely astounded by her sudden laughing fit. "You don't know my men at all, do you? Did you HONESTLY think that my men and I wouldn't come up with a contingency plan in the event that I couldn't be there for them?"

Rye's eyes narrowed.

"They're perfectly fine with acting without me. They're the best at what they do. And what they do...isn't very nice." Shade said with a proud smirk, giving Rye and Farla a cocky grin.

"We're ready. Colonel Shadow needs us."

"Alright, then. Time to move. Say goodbye to the ranch cellar boys."

"Such a shame. I was almost finishing naming all of the cows."

"And yet..."

Bark clenched his fist, grinning proudly as he and the rest of the Briggs platoon rose up. Time to head off of the Echidna family ranch. Time to sink their throats into Central City and not...let...go.

...

...

...

... "How the hell is this happening?" One lieutenant yelled. "Where did they come from? MAGIC?"

"Well, maybe." One corporal said, shrugging as their platoon came to a halt by the library.

"What's going on?" Farla yelled into a communicator, eyes ablaze with fury. "They just appeared in the middle of town?"

"Er...yes, ma'am..."

"Do we know where they're from?"

"Judging from their outfits and weaponry, they're from Noc-"

A black-armored form leapt through the air, joining a small torrent of stylishly-dressed assassins, their electrified weapons hissing in the air.

The corporal died without a sound.

"ALL of them were at the ranch?" Draco asked as he spoke with Colonel Shadow, looking obviously impressed.

"Yes. All of them slipped in during the ranch's reconstruction. The place is indeed very, very large."

"We're running out of ammunition though." Draco admitted nervously as he held up his rifle. "...we've only got a few rounds left. I'm sorry."

"And more platoons are moving in!" Vector yelled out, rushing down to the front porch of what had been Gerald Robotnik's home to the captain and the colonel. "Sir, we need a plan!"

"Sir, they're returning fire with less bullets than they previously used." One corporal informed his commanding officer as their platoon marched closer to the residence. "We think they're running out of ammunition."

"Excellent. We'll take them down right here-"

It was then that a horn blaring "Dixie" echoed through the air and all of the platoon scattered out of the way of an enormous truck that suddenly and swiftly pulled up to the residence, Wave hopping out of the driver's seat, cheerily smiling at them all as she was joined by a thick-feathered grey albatross wearing large gloves.

"WAVE?" Shadow gaped.

"2nd Lieutenant Wave the Swallow at your service, sir!" Wave cheerily laughed. "This is my brother, Storm the Albatross."

"At yer service, sir." The thick-acented albatross commented happily. "We've got tear gas grenades, smoke bombs, flashbangs, enough lead in these boxes to poison a city eighteen times over and plenty of things tah create all KINDS of fireworks. I believe..." The albatross snapped his fingers. "We have a mutual friend?"

"Who?" Shadow wanted to know.

The albatross smiled and pulled out a cell phone, pressing a button on "Speed Dial" and handing it to Shadow, who held it to his ear. "Hello?"

_**"Good to hear you, good to talk. Sad to say, I still can't walk."**_ Ray the Flying Squirrel chuckled. "See, I can joke about it now. I think I've really matured."

"RAY?"

"Serving the community for 80 years, "Flying Fresh" deliveries! From underwear to armored cars, we're your one-stop shopping experience for anything and EVERYTHING." Ray told his commanding officer cheerily. "I hope you don't mind me "treating" you?"

"Not one bit." Shadow said smugly.

...

...

...

... "There's smoke rising from the city." Elise said as she looked at the city from atop a hill through a set of binoculars.

"And I hear alarms." Leigh added, nodding his head.

"I'll bet Shadow made his move. And to think, he calls ME a show-off." Sonic laughed slightly. "We should take advantage of this chaos and sneak into Central, into that EVIL UNDERGROUND LAIR."

**DA-DA-DA! DA-DA-DA!  
**

"What was that?" NiGHTS said, turning his head left and right in confusion.

"What?"

"Nevermind, uh...listen. I DO have a little special something in place should Void's continent-wide blood seal activate. But, really, I'd prefer not to have to use it." NiGHTS sighed slightly as he looked out over the city. "He's good at magic, believe me, but if we actually got up close and personal with him, he'd get broken easily and we could avenge all the innocent Babylonians he murdered."

"But you'd better stay here, Shiki. You're still recovering from that fight with tentacle boy." Big insisted. "I'll stay here too and help heal him up." The good doctor insisted, smiling kindly. "Nack, you'll help me too, right?"

"I will?" Nack asked, blinking stupidly.

"Hey! Bro!" Sonic yelled out to Tails at the electrified prison Tails and Despair was in.

"Yeah?"

"We're gonna go kick Void's ass."

"...just...be careful. And hit him extra hard for ME, alright?"

"I'd put my hand on the prison wall in a touching moment so you can put your hand on the other side, but I don't wanna get shocked." Sonic said.

"Yeah, it's cool."

"...hey, what's that noise?"

"Oh, Despair's playing the harmonica. He's pretty good. But now he's going into Jonas Brothers and I'm getting a little annoyed."

"Which one?" Sonic asked, a sympathetic look passing over his features.

"...SOS."

"_Ohhhh_. OUCH."

Meanwhile, Shade was nonchalantly filing her nails as Rye pointed a gun at her head, a furious expression on his features, practically spitting in anger. "If you don't call those men of yours ff, I'm gonna put a bullet in your freakin' skull!"

"I'm used to getting five death threats before lunch. Your little temper tantrum doesn't scare me." Shade said as she continued to file away at her nails, Farla growling as she dug her claws into the table.

"Do you think you're going to get away with this?" The seal sapient snarled.

"I was going to ask you the same question. Did YOU think YOU were going to get away with this? Don't you understand what Void's planning?"

"Of course! We shall ascend unto Heaven, becoming "true" beings, rejecting the falsehood around us and changing the world with the power we'll gain!"

"You'll be hurting innocent people."

"There's ALWAYS pain associated with change. You have to tear down in order to build."

"No you DON'T, you just need to find someplace that isn't being used. Like the space between your ears. I think I could turn that into a nice fishtank." Shade commented, eyes suddenly narrowing as she flung her nail file. It impaled the rat in the hand and he screamed, dropping the gun as Shade whipped out her own pistol, leveling it at Farla before she could draw HER weapon.

"You little!" Farla hissed.

"You're all pathetic. YOU'RE the ones who make the decisions but it's poor boys in uniforms that suffer for what you've done, or innocent civilians. You won't see real war. Your children won't see war. Your childrens' children wouldn't see war. I'm SICK of it." Shade snapped at her. "You act like putting them in harm's way for something like this is "noble". It's NOT. It's SELFISH!"

"You traitor!" Farla roared.

"You say "traitor", I say "hero". Perhaps I might even become like the "Hero of the Shanazaran Campaign". Only I plan on having more BALLS than him." Shade smirked. "Allow me to give you a "for instance"."

And with that, she fired. And fired. And fired and fired and fired until there wasn't anything left of Farla's face but a small, pulpy STUB of a thing as Rye gaped in surprise, disgust and horror.

"Want to test your luck against me? I can have a new clip in this in three seconds." Shade said cheerily, holding the pistol up in the air as Farla's body twitched in death throes.

SOME TIME LATER...

Knuckles was "playing along" and helping some men into an ambulance, noticing Jet the Hawk was rushing through a crowd over to him, and panting like mad. "What's wrong?"

"I've...been...been running...running all...over the city...can't...can't find...can't keep up to Shadow..."

"Yes, he's apparently taken Cream the Rabbit hostage from what we've learned."Knuckles told Jet as the last of the soldiers was loaded into the ambulance.

"First Wave and now little Cream! HE'S THE DEVIL INCARNATE!" Jet roared furiously, clenching his fist, snarling angrily.

"Also..." Knuckles sighed deeply. "My sister has apparently...decided to take things into her own hands."

"Sir, we came as fast as we could!"

Knuckles turned his head to see several guards rushing towards him from across the street. "Where's Omega?" One of them asked.

Knuckles tilted his head to the side."...uh, what was that?"

"State Metallurgist Sonic the Hedgehog said Omega was attacking you and endangering civilian lives, so we rushed here as soon as we could."

He WOULDN'T, Knuckles thought, eyes widening. "...uhhhhhhh..."

"YOU'RE! PURE! EVIL!" NiGHTS told his son as they made their way into the laboratory, the old familiar battleground where they had fought with Sonia, finally reaching a split hallway. "Just for that...I'M going this way with the lovely lady and YOU can stick with the chao and Omega."

"WHAT?" Sonic yelled, eyes bugging out as Omega smiled inwardly. "Why do I have to be with HIM?"

"Well, you're fairly useless thanks to Void's little "nullification of metallurgy" trick, but with Omega and the Chao helping you out you'll be balanced. And I'm almost totally fine on my own, but...well, I like having a LITTLE company to talk to." NiGHTS said, shrugging. "Otherwise I'd just be talking to myself as I headed down the hallway, that's something Void might do."

"Why?"

"Because he only enjoys "intelligent conversations"." NiGHTS said, walking off down the right-hand hallway with Elise following after, Sonic sighing slightly before turning to head off with the others. After several minutes of quiet walking had passed, NiGHTS turned to Elise.

"You're worried about King, aren't you?" He asked gently. "I can just tell."

"...yes. I am."

"Well, go ahead." NiGHTS offered. "You can get moving. I'll be fine on my own, really."

Elise blinked a few times, looking the jester over. "Sir, really, I can't do that-"

"SURE you can." NiGHTS laughed, slapping her on the back. "Go on, ya silly goose."

"...thank you." Elise whispered quietly, quickly leaping into a nearby vent shaft she kicked open, slinking away as NiGHTS smiled to himself, heading off down the hallway and singing a song.

Meanwhile, Strega had, stupidly, decided to head down to the private army that had been shown to Shade much earlier. Still mostly clouded in shadows, the time had come once again for them to be revealed to the eyes of others. Only this time, they would not simply be revealed...but ACTIVATED.

"Where is it, where is it..." Strega murmured as she searched the control panel on the side of the wall, several scientists nervously standing nearby with various laser pistols. After all, they weren't STUPID, if the things went out of control, they had to have SOME means of stopping them.

"Sir, are you SURE we should be using them now?" One of them asked.

"When if not now? We're being invaded. This is the PERFECT time." Strega snapped, finally finding the necessary switch and tugging it down, hard.

And with that, the capsules holding the things BURST, the chaos emerald liquids that the nesting creatures had been developing in getting SUCKED into the creatures. What had once been monstrous, fetus-like things, pulsing black and red and pale purple now turned into real creatures of horror that slowly grew to full form, chimeras in appearance, some part reptile and some part mammal, some part avian, some part human...

Disgusting hybrids, all created from the combined souls of innocents who had been sacrificed to make chaos emeralds. And now these souls had been given a physical body...now these souls were vying for control...

And unfortunately for Strega, one urge seemed to run rampant in their mind. One emotion was rising high.

This person before them was alive. Well and truly alive. Had their own body. Had not been turned into a chaos emerald. Alive...warm...real...

It wasn't fair.

_It wasn't fair._

_IT WASN'T FAIR._

And with that they were swarming upon Strega in an instant, her screams short but very, very loud as the scientists were soon set upon too, the insane, bloody jealousy of the chimeras overriding all else as they were lost in bloodlust.

...

...

...

... .they stood before an enormous doorway in a large, almost pristine white room. Before them was an enormous double door with a helix before it. At the center of this helix was a brilliant, radiantly-painted shining halo of some kind. The helix chain was made up of words, which Sonic could understand quite well.

"The antagonism between science and religion, about which we hear so much, appears to me purely factitious, fabricated on the one hand by short-sighted religious people, who confound ... theology with religion; and on the other by equally short-sighted scientific people who forget that science takes for its province only that which is susceptible of clear intellectual comprehension." Sonic read off the golden, spiraling text. "...woah. Déjà vu."

Then the doorway began to open as a strange, howling, screaming noise echoed through the air.

"Uhhhhh ohhhhhhh." Sonic murmured out as the THINGS began coming out of the doorway, hungry and furious.

Meanwhile, Shiki was walking around the prison as he heard Despair playing a new tune on the harmonica. "Help, from the Beatles?" He called out to Tails. "Who knew he had taste!"

"Yeah, he's played "Bring My Baby Back", "Set Me Free", "Jailhouse Rock", "SOS", and now "Help"."

"Interesting song choices."

"A darn shame too, he was in the middle of a BEAUTIFUL rendition of "Beautiful Dreamer"."

Suddenly Shiki stiffened. Something "clicked" in his head. The song choices were too coincidental...and they were being played in such a loud way...

What if someone besides them was actually hearing-

A harsh explosion sent Shiki flying through the air as Bean the **Dynamite Metallurgist** stood there, sniggering darkly, tossing a small black bomb up and down as Despair smiled cheerily, stepping free of the blown-open prison, Tails gasping in surprise.

"Sorry you had to pick me up. I feel so embarrassed." The chao-like Golem apologized. "I'll have to make this up to you. What's your favorite restaurant?"

"I'd prefer a nice bottle of sherry, really."

"Dunno if I can do that. I'm not old enough to drink, so..."

"I suppose I should be FLATTERED that God **HATES** me." Tails mumbled.


	42. Countdown, Part Two

_In trying to obtain the power to bring our mother back to life, we crossed the line._

_We took things too far, and we were brought down to Earth. _

_But now all that seems to pale in comparison to the threat that looms over our heads, for a madman is trying to sacrifice an entire nation for his own fiendish goals, and all the cards are in his hand._

_We're facing impossible odds. But I believe we can win._

_We just need to have a little faith. _

**Episode Forty:**

**カウントダウン、パート****2**

**Countdown, Part Two!**

"What the heck is going on?" One corporal announced, seeing General Rye being held at gunpoint by Shade as she calmly made her way down the halls of Central City's headquarters, pride etched onto her face as she gave the corporal and his other friends an obvious look. A look that was practically screaming "Go ahead. Give me a **reason**."

"Go ahead." Shade said softly, in a quiet, dangerous tone. "Give me a REASON." Obviously she didn't think Central's forces had a good enough grasp of the obvious. "Now this is very, very simple, Rye. You...are going to tell the nice men...to take THEIR nice men...and leave MY men...and Shadow's men...ALOOOONE." She finished, elongating the syllable as long as possible for emphasis, speaking to him like he had an IQ level she could count on one hand.

The corporal and his men nervously raised THEIR pistols up and Shade frowned, holding her rapier to Rye's neck for a moment. "I gotta say...your men are just so..."

SCHA-SCHLORK! She stuck her rapier in his OTHER hand, making him howl.

"_Uncivilized_."

"GAAAAAAH!"

"Where IS the discipline, I ask you?" Shade wanted to know, the echidna shaking her head back and forth, chuckling slightly. "Pull them back. Now. Believe me when I tell you this, the soldiers of Nocturne are not going to hesitate in their mission. Even if I ended up dying in these halls, they'd go through with this campaign. So if I were you, I'd start screaming for your men to withdraw from Central and make a run for the ocean while the going was good."

"You...I..." Rye growled angrily. Finally he yelled out what he wanted to say. "Close all of the gates to the command center! Don't let a SINGLE one of Nocturne or Shadow's men inside, is that CLEAR?"

"Well-well." Shade commented, smiling slightly at this sudden display of bravado. "Look who suddenly discovered he had a pair of testicles! You know I'm actually IMPRESSED."

"Oh shut up, lady!" Rye snapped back at her. "I'm not taking compliments from the woman who's got a gun to my head! You can take your thanks and shove it up your candy-"

It was then that a pulsing, sparkling greenish/white energy spike launched through the air and went clear through his head, and he looked up at the enormous hole in the middle of his forehead, reaching up with one of his cut-through gloves and feeling some blood, tasting it for a moment.

"...well." He mumbled. "...that's...gee."

Shade promptly dropped him to the ground and he fell like a sack of rotten potatoes, the female echidna whipping around, frowning darkly. "It might pack more of a punch now, but I KNOW that trick." She muttered. "The zealot. Mephiles the Dark, correct?"

"Yes, **Fanaticism** at your service!" Mephiles crowed, taking a long, deep, mocking bow before he rose back up, chaos energy crackling around his wickedly clawed hands. "I've been trying to practice my new chaos energy moves. Sadly, that one always seems to curve to the RIGHT..."

"Let me guess. You're here to kill me."

"To be truthful, I would have done it whether my designer wanted me to do it or not. I really, really dislike you. After all, I was MELTED DOWN IN **YOUR** BASE." Mephiles growled, walking forward as Shade noticed small puffs of smoke rising from his feet indentations in the floor. "It HURT. A LOT."

"I should thank you, really. I wasn't actually sure if I was going to really kill him or not, you solved my moral dilemma for me. So, tell you what." Shade mused, twirling her rapier rapidly in the air with one hand as she quickly swept towards Mephiles. "I'll kill you QUICK to show my gratitude!"

"Balls up the WALLS, man, this is waaaaay past fucked up!" Sonic screamed, doing a karate kick to the "neck" of a half-human, half ANT thing, a look of obvious disgust on his features as he raised his foot back up and STOMPED the thing in the head over and over until it finally died. Nothing like this, NOTHING like this deserved to live, these...these **monstrosities** around them were abhorrent in every sense.

Their appearance...their smell...their horrible voices, a cacophony out of synch and tone, wailing and screaming like people slowly dying after a slaughter, others cooing softly like infants wanting to be held, it was all just too much to take in.

"_Mooooommmy..."_

_"Hurts...hurts so much..."_

_"See my dead wife, pick up the laundry, do some..."_

_"I'm hungryyyy..."  
_

"Shut UP!" Sonic yelled, punching another one in the face, launching it backwards.

"You picked the wrong opponent." Omega growled, grabbing one by the head, dark energy coursing through it's body as it shook over and over, being racked with pain, blood pouring out from it's mouth and cracked open head...

But the thing then began LAUGHING hysterically, making Omega release it, obvious shock flickering in his red eyes as it swayed back and forth, laughing over and over. "What does it take to KILL these things?" Omega growled darkly.

"_Hurts...it hurts-"_

"_Somebody please-"_

_"Dadddyyyyy-"_

"_I don't like being here-"_

"**I SAID STOP**-" Sonic snarled, his fist raised high, sparkling with lightning. He rushed forward to unleash hell anew when...

_"Brother dear..."_

Sonic's fist hovered in mid-air. He could feel his insides turning to ice, his body freezing. Not again. Not again.

"These things have...these things have stolen SOULS in them." He realized. "The way the Metal Overlord did!" He murmured, stepping backwards, eyes widening as his voice began to crack in near-hysterical fear and disgust. Not again, not AGAIN!

"These things just don't DIE..." Leigh growled. "I hope the others are having more luck than we are."

"We cannot let any of these things get OUTSIDE." Omega insisted. "Hedgehog, magic up some kind of wall and block the exit!"

"Finally, I agree with you on something. I'm getting annoyed how we keep agreeing on things." Sonic told him, quickly snapping his fingers in the direction of the exit they'd come in from, an enormous wall that read "Sonic Sez: Stay Out" written in big cartoony red letters on the front blocking the chimeras...and THEM...from the exit.

"Let's brace for the worst, then." Johnny said calmly.

"You're not scared, are you?" Ewan wondered out loud.

"Oh, hell, no.' Sonic laughed. "I don't care HOW many of these things I need to go through, I'm going to rip Void a new one by the end of the day! And that's a PROMISE!" Sonic roared, rushing forward, his body turning gold as he rose up on his feet, eyes turning red. "C'MOOOOOON!"

The chao transformed, he and Omega joining Sonic in the charge as they surged forward into the fray...

...

...

...

... "A delivery truck? You're sure?" One army captain inquired at a nearby roadblock with his men, talking into his communicator. "...okay, okay, you don't have to worry, we're sealing off all the main roads! We're looking sharp, we're ready for anything-"

THA-THUMP.

A thick form had leapt down onto his car and was now staring down at him, holding up a high-powered machine gun like he was Tony Soprano in his very large fists. "In Soviet Russia, bear shoots YOU!"

"Bear...shoots...you?" The Wax inquired as they listened in on the radio waves, hearing the sound of rifle fire and screams being quickly silenced. "...OW...OWWWW." He held his side, as if personally injured.

"That Bark." Heavy commented. "He's worse than his-"

"Please. DON'T." The Wax insisted. "I know what you're thinking. PLEASE don't say it."

"Fine. For you. Just this once."

"Getting around town is going to be a bit harder than we anticipated, methinks." Rouge admitted. "I mean, it's a big white truck with a grinning flying squirrel on the front."

"Well." Shadow rubbed his chin. "You're right...this just won't do. But I think I know a way around this. Hopefully the others are having an easier time than us."

"You little CHICKEN! What kind of martial artist is too afraid to fight a couple dozen freakshows?" Metal Sonic's small, fetus-shaped eggy form shouted out, bouncing up and down in the jar that Marine the Raccoon was carrying him in as she raced down the long hallway, dozens upon dozens of very hungry chimera chasing after her with Johnny the koala shrieking as he raced alongside her.

"The cute, cuddly kind who doesn't really LIKE to fight and who gets cramps when she eats too much!" Marine screeched out, the chimera hot on her tail. "I KNEW I shouldn't have stopped at that "Green Tea" restaurant earlier! I KNEW it!"

"Don't blame me!"

"Oh yes I CAN!" She snapped. "You said the secret to being immortal was right down that hall!"

"Well, it WAS, how was **I** supposed to know those things-ARM."

"Huh, what-AAAAARRRRMMM!" Marine ducked in time, spinning through the air and kicking one chimera's arm clean off its shoulders, the others stupidly looking at it as it smacked against the wall before rushing back at her again.

Marine quickly did some diving kicks and punches, knocking chimera left and right as the jar was sent flying through the air, Metal yelling in surprise and terror. If he just crashed on the ground, then...

Unfortunately for Marine, that's not what happened. A chimera popped up, it's lion-esque mouth open wide, and SWALLOWED the whole thing. Marine blinked stupidly for a moment as her pet koala gaped, the lion-headed chimera scratching it's stomach with chicken-winged arms, burping a little.

And fortunately for Metal...this new body...meant a new host. It was a very, very disturbing sight as a single, burning red "eye" appeared on the middle of the thing's forehead, and Metal's voice came out from it's mouth. "IIIIIII seeeeee yooooooou."

It LUNGED forth at a nearby chimera, it's body becoming a mechanized mess of scrap and junk, engulfing everything it could lay it's claws on in the swiftly-growing pulsing mass of metal flesh. It grew and grew like the blob, howling in wild delight as it fed again and again, it's form finally taking true and definite shape as Marine raced backwards with her pet koala in digust, the other chimera somehow feeling something new...

Fear. Fear that rooted them to the spot, making their bodies quake as this THING before them devoured their kin in a disgusting wave of combining metal flesh that finally formed into a single, smug-looking figure.

Metal Sonic.

"Well." He commented, a mouth momentarily lingering on his "face" as he licked flavor off his lips and folded his arms, eyes glowing brightly in Marine's direction. "Dinner and a show."

"You...are...disgusting." Marine grunted out.

"Did you see that?" Big whispered to Nack, seeing smoke rising up from the prison that had held **Despair**. "I think that Tails might be in trouble."

"Woaaah, hold on." Nack growled angrily. "Don't go running off so quickly. We need a PLAN."

"Well do you have one?" Big asked him, scratching his head.

Nack blinked stupidly. "...well...uh...wait." His eyes widened. "...I think I DO!"

"You know...I don't appreciate...what your daddy dearest DID...to me." **Despair **informed Tails cheerily as he rose up on his metallic tentacles, orange eyes glowing slightly like embers of a fire that were beginning to fully ignite.

"Oh you...shut it, you...you BULLY." Tails yelled at him. "You're nothing but a big bully!"

"What, too white-bread to swear?" Bean commented, eyes darting around. "...odd. Void told me that the Bio-Lizard was here with you. What happened? Did he go off to catch the end of "Jersey Shore" or something?"

"No, I ended up devouring him." **Despair **said, maneuvering around Tails to squat by Bean.

"You ATE...one of your own? Isn't that...cannibalism?" Bean said, tilting his head to the side, a slightly disturbed look coming to the duck's features as he stuck out his tongue.

"I've given him "immortality" of a kind." **Despair** said softly, almost lovingly as he caressed his stomach, and Tails was certain he could see the faint indentation of a certain golem's face momentarily appearing there, silently screaming as **Despair**'s tiny claws rubbed his belly.

"...that ranks right up there with vaporizing pregnant women." Bean said stonily, giving **Despair** an annoyed glare as he saw the golem's clear amusement. "Don't give me that look! I'm about blowing things up. I might be EVIL, but I'm not full of CRAP! At least I have an AGENDA!"

"SHIKI!" Tails realized, seeing the injured form of Shiki lying on his stomach nearby, blood pooling below him. The little chao coughed over and over, struggling to stand, getting to his knees and little stubby hands.

"Well, well. That IS impressive. Still alive and kickin'. That really warms the cockles of my heart." Bean laughed, doing a slow clap on the spot as Omochao smirked slightly at the downed chao. "And now to kill this touching moment with high-explosives." He cheerily laughed, snapping his fingers as two thick bounds of dynamite appeared in midair.

"You won't touch him!" Tails yelled, rushing to go grab the chao, only for Omochao's tentacles to wrap around his arms. "AAAA! NOOOO!"

"No...you're not going anywhere. You're going...to WATCH. You see...I like to make people...watch. Who **doesn't** like to watch?" Omochao mused, shaking his head back and forth.

"You...YOOOOU!" Tails growled, focusing his magic power as an enormous earthen fist EXPLODED out of the ground and slammed back into it, sending him, Omochao and Bean flying away, Tails's arms being ripped off in the process.

The smoke cleared...Tails and the chao were gone. "...I'm not HAPPY, Bean." Omochao mumbled.

"Stay still and let me turn you into a wall decoration!" Mephiles roared out as he and Shade raced through Central HQ's hallways, the zealot launching blast after blast of energy in her direction as Shade leapt and spun out of the way, smirking over at him.

"Is that REALLY the best you can do?" She asked him, diving into a nearby doorway and shutting it behind her as the zealot frowned at this.

"WHAT do you think you're doing? This isn't "Scooby Doo"!" He snapped, opening up the door. "You can't just-"

She wasn't there. He blinked stupidly, looking around in the dark, dimly-lit room. There were some things in big racks on the walls...labeled "Evidence". Evidently these were things collected during investigations done by Central HQ, from bullets to blood samples to even things like-

The grenade that Shade dropped down as she leapt down from the ceiling and slipped out of the room, shutting the door behind her and diving to the side.

"...**well**." Mephiles mumbled, staring at the grenade at his feet.

THRAKKA-KROOOOOOM!

"You dead?" Shade called in to the room as Mephiles emerged, body smoking, clenching his clawed fists tightly. "What? Still alive?"

And suddenly he stretched out his claws, whispy strands of chaos energy holding her where she was as burning flame rose from his body. She saw it begin to MELT into something new, into a lava-skinned lizard with fiery green eyes...and now what stood before her was pure, raw burning POWER...now what stood before her was-

"Ibilis...the Flames of Disaster. Our Father who art about half a mile below gave us all...gifts. This was mine. And now YOU'RE mine." Ibilis whispered, licking his lips. "I'm not going to mess up, ohhhh no. Not here, not now."

"GAAAAH!" The burning bands of chaos energy were holding Shade still, and scorching her skin, burning through her outfit as the lizard approached slowly, clenching his claws, constricting the bands around her tighter...tighter...

KA-THUNKA-THWOCK!

"**I'M KNUCKLES THE ECHIDNA! WELCOME TO ****PAIN****!"** Knuckles the Echidna roared, lowering his fist as the lizard flew over Shade's head, hitting the wall off in the distance, the bands around her dissipating on the spot.

"You can touch his fiery body? Without getting hurt?"

"You always said I had a hard head, sister. But my FISTS are much harder, I assure you." Knuckles informed his sister, smacking his fists together.

"You two are irritating me." Ibilis mumbled balefully as he dug himself out of the wall, noticing that his jaw was slightly out of place. He snapped it back in, letting out a grunt. "Eeeeech. I'm going to feel THIS in the morning, that's for sure. Of course, then again..."

He held up two burning fists, cackling madly. **"YOU TWO WON'T BE FEELIN' ****ANYTHING****!"**

...

...

...

... "Shiki, it's gonna be alright. I'm going to fly you out of here." Tails said, nodding down at the Chao. "Just grab onto me and-"

"...here...I...I was the one holding onto this...it belonged to Bean..." the chao murmured. He began to violently cough, and then finally vomited something up onto the ground in a mess of beans, corn and beef stew. "I want you to use it."

It was an emerald. A chaos emerald glittering brightly...the one that Bean had used before Sonic had knocked it out of his hands. Tails immediately shook his head back and forth. "No, NO. I CAN'T. I mean for one, my arms just got ripped off, and two, I PROMISED my brother that I'd never-"

"Use it to get your old bodies back. That's all well and good. But what about "use it to save everyone else"?" Shiki managed to gurgle out, wiping the puke from his mouth. "We need...we need someone to stand up to people like them...and you need every advantage you can get. Think...think about it this way...you're not doing this for yourself. You're doing this to save an entire continent. I think...that the people in that gem...could sympathize."

Tails was quiet for a little while as he looked down at the gem. Then he nodded, and touched his head to it.

_Please...help me help them..._

And with that, shining light erupted from the chaos emerald, and Bean and Omochao covered their eyes in surprise, reeling back slightly as a figure rose in the air, proud and at the ready...Tails holding the chaos emerald high in his newly-grown hand, a resolute look of defiance on his face.

"I'm ready for you." He spoke firmly.

"A chaos emerald? Where did he get one of those?" Omochao wanted to know.

Tails snapped his fingers over and over again. "You know what your problem is, guys? You just need some GOOD VIBRATIONS."

He then slammed his fists into the ground and a small quake sent the two jumbling along the earth like they were trapped on a jackhammer, being knocked about in mud and grime, Bean flailing his arms to steady himself. This meant he was totally caught off-guard when Tails, fist throbbing with water magic, struck him in the gut with all the fury of an ocean wave.

He was launched backwards through the air, but grinned, letting out a "WEEEEE" as he landed deftly, manifesting strings of dynamite and tossing it through the air, a series of explosions rocking the whole area. Tails flew through the air to avoid the attack, but barely ducked in time to avoid getting clipped by one of Omochao's mechanical tentacles.

The two began dive-bombing each other, Omochao launching attack after attack with his tentacles at Tails, who covered himself in a sheathe of metal, striking back like a sword, the two dancing around like birds fighting in mid-air.

But Tails had forgotten about Bean, or at least so it appeared. Bean launched a big, smiley-faced bomb in his direction and Tails was sent flying down to the ground. Quickly, he snapped his fingers and an enormous hand made of Earth caught him. Holding his own hands high, he began to direct a symphony of fists that rose from the earth, striking at Bean and Omochao over and over.

"You think this is going to hold us for long?" Omochao snapped as Bean was actually struck in the middle of his head, being knocked away.

"Nah, this is just a distraction. Don't look up." Tails told him cheerily, waving his hand in the air.

Naturally, Omochao looked up, seeing an enormous electrified metal box being held over his head, about to be slammed over him.

THWOMP!

"It's times like this I DESPISE chaos emeralds and magic." Omochao mumbled from inside his new prison.

"Well." Tails breathed a sigh of relief. "All things considered, not bad!"

"Yes, I've used the chaos emeralds myself, I know their power." Bean admitted as he calmly approached Tails, standing a small distance away, arms folded in front of his chest. "One thing I gotta axe you though."

"...what?"

"Why don't you just use it to get your own normal body back? With that chaos emerald in your grasp, it wouldn't take much for you to just run away, then use the stone to return yourself to normal."

"That would be selfish. My friends are counting on me."

"Oh, right. Equivalent exchange. You can't get something without first giving something up. All magic has a price. And you don't want to pay the price of losing your dear brother or comrades at the expense of getting back your body. Besides, I imagine after so many years of disuse, it must REALLY smell by now."

"From what my brother says he saw on the "Other Side, it really DOES." Tails admitted. "But yeah...yeah. Magic does have a price. Nothing is free. I'm being asked to choose between two options...but really..." he shrugged. "Why can't I pick both? Pick what's behind door number three?"

Bean blinked, mouth falling open slightly. "...what."

"A and B scenarios don't really EXIST in the real world. There's ALWAYS another way, even if it isn't easy to see. Sonic and I don't believe in no-win situations, so why can't we choose "save our friends AND get our bodies back"?" Tails decided, shrugging his shoulders.

"What about the whole "magic has a price"? thing?" Bean wanted to know.

"Oh, we've been paying a price. We're fighting you. We're dealing with near impossible odds. Getting our bodies back would be hard enough, saving everyone is even harder. There's something that my mom once said to me..." Tails smiled. "God can give you everything you want. But if he does, he's gonna make sure you damn well appreciate it. And believe me, after everything we've been through...everything people like you have put me and my brother through...we are REAAAAALLY gonna appreciate it."

"I see." Bean mused, rubbing his chin as a thoughtful look came to his eye. "You feel that the "price" shouldn't be "sacrifice" but "difficulty". And yes, it's breaking from tradition, but just because things have lasted for so long it doesn't make them "truth", I guess. Though you realize there is, well, a FOURTH option..."

Bean took out the Chaos Emerald he had in his cheek and held it in one hand, his body glowing brightly with a reddish tinge. "You FAIL to save yourself OR the world and I use your insides to stuff my couch."

"He had an EXTRA ONE?" Tails yelled out.

"HOOO-HAAAAAH!" Knuckles roared out, holding up his palm as a large slab of stone suddenly appeared in it. He held his fist up, and with strikes made in rapid succession, spiked bullets made from the stone shot out each time he struck it, the spikes launching themselves at Ibilis, who was struck over and over, grunting angrily as they dissolved into his burning body.

"Nothing but a FLESH wound." He hissed out. "I might actually have to get a bit more...intense."

"You get WORSE than this?" Shade laughed as spun quickly, slicing through his lava-like body with her rapier, making his legs turn to gooey burning mush as his upper half frowned slightly, reforming his legs from below. "Oh come ON! You're not that strong. Stop talking out your-"

"GUUUURRRRAAAAAAAAAAHHH!"

A burning, white-hot shockwave launched the two straight through a nearby window and out of the building as they looked upon the horrors that was the now fully-grown Ibilis, who waved his enormous, thick-veined arms in the air, looking down at them with his horned head, his three eyes bulging out.

"No other Golem has as much raw POWER as I!" He roared out. "Allow me to show you just a fraction of that power."

A enormous clawed fist soared through the air and Knuckles and Shade were sent flying, spiraling away. Unluckily for Shade, the magma-bodied monstrosity had ANOTHER arm, and he quickly grabbed ahold of Shade, gazing coldly down at her as he began to crush her. "Where are all your clever little witticisms now, you little Jezebel?"

"GAAHHHH-AAAAAAAAUUUUHHHH!" Shade screeched with pain as it tightened it's grip, sneering coldly.

Then...pain. Pain shooting through his hand because a FIST MADE OF METAL had shot through his hand, and he let out a loud, furious roar as he dropped Shade to the ground below, Knuckles catching her in his arms, smiling down at her as the enormous Ibilis held his bleeding hand.

"You alright?" Knuckles asked calmly. "I have to keep an eye out for my little sister after all."

"Ahhhhh...I love the smell of napalm in the mornin'." Bean mused as he dusted himself off, smoke littering the battlefield, Tails nowhere in sight as the golem made its way out of the blown-open box it had been stuck in.

"Hmmmmm." Omachao closed his eyes, concentrating. For a few minutes he was silent, saying nothing, but then...

"Yes, he's still close by." In fact..."

He sniffed the air, and then clenched a fist. One metal tentacle shot out, diving into a nearby smoke cloud and lifting Tails's trapped form up into the air. "Did you forget I could sense you from smell? That's check. And mate."

"You're pretty sure of yourself, huh? You keep forgetting...I've been in worse situations than this." Tails said defiantly, smirking down at the golem, who gave him an annoyed look.

"Even WITH the chaos emerald you should know there is a time and place for last minute heroics and this-"

"The perfect time for it!" Tails laughed, opening up his hand, showing...he didn't have the chaos emerald.

"What the HECK?" Bean cried out.

Omochao stiffened. So that was the reason behind all the smoke around the battlefield...Tails had hidden someone. Hidden them in the smoke AND downwind of all things, to keep the golem from smelling them-

Wait. There was only one other person who could have-

**Despair **turned around just in time to see Shiki lunging at Bean, transforming into his more savage self, claws striking out as Bean's back was torn open, the duck letting out a terrified, horrible SCREECH as bone and meat were crunched beneath the lion-chao's claws.

"_But how? How could he do this with the injuries he had-" _

Bean managed to turn his head, and he saw...saw a smug-looking cat emerging from a smokecloud, holding the chaos emerald in one hand, having joined the battle at just the right time. BIG.

"_Y-you_..." Bean gurgled out before he hit the ground face first, twitching slightly as Shiki stood up, licking blood from his claws.

...

...

...

... "You're sure it was a delivery truck?" One soldier asked another.

"Yes, so don't let any get by us." His friend insisted as they ignored the "FEDEX" truck that passed them by, not even noticing this one had, for some reason, a door on the truck.

"Magic sure is handy." Wave said cheerily.

"I almost feel like a thief. Changing the outer appearance of cars and the like is bothering me more than the fact that I've been engaging in rampant destruction of property." Shadow admitted. "...heh." He smiled at this. "If I was Sonic, I would have put hot-rod flames all over."

"What about getting into Central HQ?" Rouge inquired. "We can't just force our way in. They're ready for that sort of thing."

"We'll have to take a more covert route." Shadow insisted. "And split up...gang."

"You did NOT just say that!"

MEANWHILE...

"Go for the legs!" Omega yelled out, a quick and sudden kick to one of the chimera's legs bringing it down. "Most of them have very weak legs!"

"You got little CHICKEN legs." Sonic told one of the chimeras as he did a swift, lightning-fast kick that knocked it's left knee clean off, another sweep cracking the other leg right in half. The half-avian, half-pig chimera fell to the ground, squealing like...well, like what it was. Sonic "yecch'd" and knocked it out with a quick blow to the back of the head.

"This is just SAD." Johnny insisted as he snapped another one's legs with his thick arms.

"KIYAAAAH!" Leigh roared, knocking a small squad of chimera down. "I'll keep goin' for the legs, but there's still no END to these things!"

"Well...well." Omachao murmured to himself. "You really are tenacious." He told Tails, clapping his little paws together. "I'm IMPRESSED! You just don't ever give up. But even if you DID somehow manage to defeat me, Void's plan in Central City is still going to be completed."

Tails frowned darkly as the golem waved a hand in the air. "Therein is your "dilemma". Deal with the "little fish" and you might not get time to stop the "big fish". And you find the idea of letting EITHER one of us go abhorrent, correct?"

"..."

"You don't need to worry though. It's not like you could beat my "daddy dearest". I mean, you can barely beat ME."

KRAKKA-KRAKKA-KRAKKA-KRAKKA!

Upon the plains...now stood a powerful gun. And at the helm...a powerful man. Nack discharged his duty and his vow into Despair's body as it was riddled with bullets from a four-carbine heavy-repeating machine gun, the cry "CURSE YOU TO HEEEEELLL!" echoing through the air as Despair was sent flying a dozen feet through the air, hitting the ground with a THRUNKA-THUD, unmoving and twitching as blood leaked from all points on his body.

"SUCK IT, **BITCH**!" Nack yelled, jumping up and down. "I finally did something bad-ass!"

"I'll be. Nack was finally heroic. I guess there's a first time for everything!" Tails then scratched his head, and looked down. WAY down. "...**hey**! Everyone! I think I finally got my big boy-hair!"

"Let's get going, he's not gonna stay down forever!" Big insisted as Shiki and Tails raced off with Nack following after. "You heard what he said, right? We need to get to Central City...NOW."

"Magic." Tails said, taking the chaos emerald from Big and smirking broadly. "But don't ask for hot-rod flames. I don't do those."

**Despair **slowly got back up, spitting out bullets from his mouth, rubbing it with his arm as his wounds began to slowly heal. "...gee. You're all brave, but DAMN, you are so EASY. The "little fish" puts the bait on the hook...and the even littler fish bites."

He then dusted himself off and heading towards Bean, who was trying to get back up, but couldn't do anything but breathe in and out, slowly dying, blood pooling around him. The golem rubbed his chin, looking down at the duck sapient, chuckling slightly. "My-my-my. Just look at you. I mean, you were beaten by a chao. You didn't even get to go down swinging. I doubt this was the glorious way you wanted to go."

The golem kneeled by the duck, who began coughing madly, hacking and wheezing. "You wanted to see the change that would result...you'll never get to see that "new world" we've been imagining...ohhh, but don't be upset." Despair went on, turning Bean over onto his stomach, cradling his head as he began to lick his lips.

"Be comforted...know that the ghost of your own spirit shall comfort and entertain your devourer long after your body is digested."

He drew in close...

...

...

...

... "What the hell?" Several soldiers yelled out, seeing the enormous burning THING that was now taking up a good portion of Central City HQ, trying to remove an enormous metal spike that had been shot out from the ground and gone straight through his mouth. "What IS that thing?"

"You HONESTLY thought that "bigger was better"?" Knuckles mused. "Why don't you just give up? We're willing to spare you if you take us to Void. You must know you can't win."

"Was...not...Christ...crucified?" Ibilis managed to growl out, yanking the enormous spike from his mouth as he clenched his fists tightly.

"You know, we're supposed to be shooting you." One captain of the guard told Shade. "There's orders to shoot you on sight or, if we can, garrote you."

"That's lovely." Shade mused.

"She isn't dying until she signs some paperwork! She kicked me out of the family ranch and I want my pool table back." Knuckles insisted.

"Actually if I die, the ranch is going to Shadow."

"WHAT?" Knuckles yelled angrily.

"But you can have your pool table back. I don't like pool. I always scratch."

"Ohhh, you DO care!" Knuckles said cheerily, hugging his sister tightly.

"HELLO? Men with GUNS?" The captain of the guard yelled furiously. It was then that the point was made pretty much moot because at that moment, the chimera began to appear, coming out of the woodwork, roaring and snarling as Knuckles held up his fists as Ibilis belched out a burning-hot torrent of flaming magma in all of their direction.

Knuckles clasped them together, then held his palms up. A moment later an enormous, shimmering wall of crystalline substance formed around them all, save for some chimera who were buried in the flames. Growling slightly, Knuckles adjusted one palm and clenched it tightly, crystalline bonds forming around Ibilis's arms, forcing the enormous thing to the ground as they tugged him down.

"Highly-concentrated raritanium-urbonite alloy." Knuckles told his sister. "I've been studying up on my metals."

"What are those...THINGS?" The captain of the guard asked as other chimeras began coming closer.

"Those "things" were your generals idea of an "immortal army" that would have been perfect for fighting off any foe. Eventually you would have all become one of them."

"You're right, look...is that Bill?" One of them asked, noticing the charred and roasted legs of one avian-esque chimera.

"Could be."

"Bill always had thick thighs..."

"My brother and I can deal with these things." Shade said firmly. "But we're not going to step in to help unless you agree to fight alongside us and stop trying to kill me."

"But the orders are-"

"There is a GIANT LAVA LIZARD to your right! There are patchwork beasts that are trying to EAT YOU all around you! This is not your average day at work! **Think outside the box for once!"** Shade demanded.

"Stay STILL!" Metal Sonic snapped, Marine continuously dodging his attacks, dipping and diving all around as more chimera began to emerge from the nearby halls. "Oh, look, more of them."

"Yeah, fair enough...but I'm actually glad they're here." Marine admitted. "Because that means I can do something like THIS!"

Marine whipped out a small slip of paper and Metal blinked. What in-

She tossed it to the ground and leapt in the air. Yakin Shīru, Metal Sonic realized. A moment later an enormous wave launched all of the chimera that had been around them RIGHT at Metal Sonic, leaving him underneath a pile of bodies as Marine and her pet took the opportunity to run.

"There's too many of them..." Sonic mumbled as the things continued to come closer and closer.

"They just keep coming..." Leigh murmured.

"We might need some help after all." Omega admitted.

And with that...help came.

KRA-KROOOOOM!

The exit that Sonic had set up was blown clear through the air, crashing into some chimera as Shadow and Rouge stepped into the room, Shadow folding his arms as chaos magic rose off his body in little wisps. "Is this a private party or can ANYONE crash?" He asked.


	43. Countdown, Part Three

_In trying to obtain the power to bring our mother back to life, we crossed the line._

_We took things too far, and we were brought down to Earth. _

_But now all that seems to pale in comparison to the threat that looms over our heads, for a madman is trying to sacrifice an entire nation for his own fiendish goals, and all the cards are in his hand._

_We're facing impossible odds. But I believe we can win._

_We just need to have a little faith. _

**Episode Forty:**

**カウントダウン、パート****3**

**Countdown, Part Three!**

"Can you BELIEVE what they're saying here on the air?"

The inhabitants of Knothole were joining together as they sat in their homes or in the diner, eyes watching the televisions as Cream the Rabbit was interviewed by "The Mobius News Network" or "MNN". The poor child looked like she'd been crying for a long, long time, and was clinging tightly to her mother, who had demanded to see her daughter and was now listening to Cream recount her tale.

"The poor thing." Sally murmured quietly, hand going to her mouth as she shook her head back and forth, Vanilla caressing her daughter's head. "She's so young...and going through all this..."

"Are you saying that they actually pointed guns at you?" The head anchorwoman of the station inquired, adjusting the microphone she had on her light blue lapel, tilting her feline head to the side, a clearly horrified glimmer in her eyes. "A CHILD?"

"Ye-yes Ms. Corik." Cream whimpered. "Shadow said that there was no WAY they should be free to shoot, but then that big-headed...that BULLY said he was free to shoot ANYONE but him! Th-they were g-gonna...they were gonna..."

Cream then burst new tears, and tightly buried her face in her mother's arms as Kitty shook her head back and forth. "That's just...I can't believe what I'm hearing, folks." The anchorwoman insisted. "And your husband isn't in Central, correct? So it appears as though Shadow was not the only one seeking to pull off a coup...somebody in Central was eager to get you and your daughter out of the way."

"I wish this was a stunt." The President of the United States of America murmured as he and his daughter watched the news feed in the Oval Office with the rest of his family, heads of other nations apparently viewing the feed with a mixture of concern, interest and horror. "But...but I've met Ms. Vanilla before. This is really happening."

"We are simply going to stand here and do nothing?" The French President asked over his video feed.

"We ought to intervene." The Japanese Prime Minister agreed.

"Where the hell IS that damn autocrat anyhow? His country is falling apart around him and he's nowhere to be found?" The British Prime Minster wished to know.

"I don't even know where my son is." Vanilla murmured tearfully.

"I can't find my brother Cheese anywhere. We miss him so much...I hope he isn't hurt." Cream managed to burble out. "He needs-he needs his nightlight, he gets scared of the dark if I'm not sleepin' with him and puttin' in a nightlight..."

"Oh, the poor child..." Jet murmured as he looked down at his portable television, sitting in the park and shaking his avian head back and forth. "This is too damn cruel."

"If Mr. Shadow and his friends hadn't saved me, I don't know what would have happened." Cream got out. "D-does anyone know wh-where he is?"

"He should be contacting us soon. We saw this whole Central coup d'état coming." A female voice spoke up from the side, sounding nervous and loathe to speak what she was about to say. "And...and I've got to say, we...we have some bad news. Dr. Eggman was on his way to Central when his...we heard that his car was destroyed by a car bomb."

Cream's mouth fell open. Vanilla lowered her head, tears trickling down her cheeks.

"...were you...aware of this?" The woman asked Vanilla.

"Yes. I had not wanted to believe it...but...but I found out the-the hard way." Vanilla murmured. "I don't even know if my husband is alive or not. Baby, please...please, if you can hear us out there, please come back."

"_Oh God I'm gonna cry!"_ Sally sobbed, rushing to the bathroom as she held her arm over her eyes, weeping openly as people began to pass around the Kleenex in the diner.

"Colonel Shadow has been harboring concerns about the Generals of Central for quite some time." Heavy said as he patted Vanilla on the back to comfort her. "He suspected they'd try something. The attempt to kill his daughter and his apparent death make us believe only one thing: something is ROTTEN in the state of Denmark!"

"SHUT DOWN THAT BROADCAST!" General Chewie exclaimed, bouncing up and down as she held her phone to hear ear, her green eyes blazing furiously like bright emeralds. "Shut it down NOW! I see your broadcast and I want you to FADE TO BLACK!"

"We can't, sir, they're threatening to kill us all." The secretary at the station lied through her teeth as she filed her nails nonchalantly. "Oh no, KRRRR! You're-KRRRSHHH-you're breaking-breaking-KRRRR-aaaaah!"

She hung up, giggling to herself. "And the Oscar goes tooooo..."

"We're gonna win awards for this story, I KNOW it." The head of the news station insisted.

"We who support Colonel Shadow aren't the strongest bunch. We're not the bravest. We're not the smartest. We're not the most well-armed." The female from before spoke up, entering the view of the camera as Jet's mouth fell wide open and he dropped his portable television to the ground in surprise. "But we believe in what he believes: in doing what is right, in the sake of JUSTICE. Our autocrat wanted a dictatorship. The generals of Central want power. We? We want a metaphysical concept. You can't get more idealistic than that."

"**WAVE**?" Jet gasped.

"And so far, we've been doin' good. On the assault. On the HUNT for JUSTICE!" Wave the Swallow said.

Jet spread his arms wide, smiling happily up at the sky. "YEEEEEEEEEEES! OH, THANK YOU **GOD**, THANK YOOOOUUU!"

"You came off like a pro, y'know?" Heavy insisted as he and Wave made their way out of the room with the cameras, Heavy pumping his fist into the air. "Especially using "that" word."

"Yeah, it's such a nice word. Such a good ring to it. "Justice". The first side to say it wins." Wave said proudly, grinning broadly. "And it comes in so many delicious flavors!"

"Justice. Now with a lingering scent of apple." Captain Draco agreed as he held up a cake. "I think some chocolate cake will cheer up our little bunny pair, don't you?"

"Do you think that Eggman's really...y'know..." Wave trailed off.

"They didn't find the body. So...no." Draco said, shaking his head back and forth. "...but I do NOT want to be the one to tell either of them about what you've all told me." He added quietly. "A husband and father is missing, maybe dead. Last thing we need to do is let them know, "Hey, by the way, he's a monster"."

"We've been releasing word on the street wherever we can." Bokkun spoke up as he and some Shanazarans entered the studio, Bokkun holding aloft a knife that he used to cut a piece of cake. "We were in town already, we don't mind going the extra mile."

"What WERE you doing in Central?" Wave inquired, scratching her head.

Bokkun smiled. "It's sort of a secret. Let's just say...we're trying to save the world. With SCIENCE!"

"I cannot freakin' BELIEVE this." General Fiona groaned as she held her head in one hand, resting it upon her desk in her office as she shook her head back and forth. Her brown hair was now matted with sweat along with her light reddish-brown furred foxy body as she looked up at the other Generals, a communications relay set up with troops on the ground to the side. "You would not believe how hard a time they've been having."

"What exactly is the issue?" General Wendy demanded, the old crone frowning, deep black eyes glittering as she folded her gnarled arms.

"Apparently, the rebels are...better armed than we thought." General Fiona admitted, sighing slightly.

"You're joking." General Angelus mumbled, the fat purple hawk brushing the black-tipped feathers atop his head back as he put his hands on his hips and waddled towards the window, looking outside as he saw smoke rising from various sections of the city. "How many weapons can they carry? It's not like-"

"Carefuuuuul." A squirrel general spoke up, black eyes narrowing as his red pupils flickered from the fat general to the window, the others wisely moving away from said window. "Don't jinx it." Shortfuse spoke simply, waving a metallic-gloved hand in the air. "I lost my hands and legs in the war because I went and "jinxed" it."

"Oh come ON." Angelus snapped, shaking his head as he began to chuckle.

"I said "They're lousy shots" and BOOM! Cannon fire blows me across the room a moment later!"

"It's not like they've got cannons HERE!" Angelus snorted.

"Five, four, three, two..." Fiona counted off as a howling noise echoed through the air.

KRAKKA-THOOOOOM! Angelus was blown across the room as cannonballs pounded into Central's walls from the outside, a Shanazaran platoon smiling at each other as they readied another volley. "You just can't beat the classics." One of them chuckled.

...

...

...

..."I never thought I'd actually be glad to see you." Sonic admitted as Shadow stood there with Rouge, the **Blue Blur** grinning broadly at his comrade and giving him a thumbs up as the chimera that remained seemed to share a joint moment of fear, realizing that a fiery, painful death awaited them all.

One of them, vaguely insect-like in appearance and crossed with some kind of leopard, whimpered and took a step back.

"No. There **is** no escape." Shadow said quietly, red eyes turned to slits as he held his hand up and snapped his gloved fingers.

In an instant, blasts of chaos energy sparked all around the chimera. Their howls were frighteningly human as they were torn apart by the pulsing blasts that Shadow launched their way, but the black and red hedgehog didn't care, his face like a mask as he calmly watched the monsters die. "...is that...Omega I see?" He commented, noticing Omega was standing there, arms folded as he looked at Shadow, Rouge frowning over in the Shanazaran's direction.

"...hello." Omega said simply, momentarily grabbing the head of an untouched chimera and crushing it tightly with it's claws. "Lieutenant, I would recommend you remove the head or destroy their brain."

"So, they're like zombies." Rouge said as she twisted her body swiftly, cutting through the head of one chimera with a screw kick, her steel-toed boot held up in the air as she launched herself into the fray, high-jump-kicking several heads off. "Zombie apocalypse, and headshots are worth fifty points?"

"What ARE they?" Shadow asked as he delivered a swift and sudden kick to another chimera, promptly cutting through it's neck with a karate chop. "They're not golems, I can tell..."

"These things are a pet project of the government, apparently. Chimera. Real live chimera." Sonic said as he curled up into a ball and before their eyes began to spin rapidly around, turning into a living buzzsaw of sorts. "You guys might wanna all stand back." He called out.

THA-WHOOOM! With a burst of thunder he rocketed out through the air, cutting through a swatch of chimera, big gaping holes in their heads as they floundered about for a few moments, arms flailing as they hit the ground, Sonic landing deftly and brushing himself off, any blood and gore that had been on his body burnt up by the high-powered wind-magic-fueled "Spin Dash" he'd pulled off. "I do enjoy my work." He admitted.

"This must be the power of the Chaos Emeralds." Shadow realized. "I'm about to try something new." He announced, his hands glowing with dark red energy, his eyes sparkling brightly. "So everybody get behind me. NOW."

The chao, Omega and Sonic all ran behind Shadow and Rouge as Shadow held his fists up, rushing forward to the center of the room as Rouge and the others quickly hid behind the doorway. "CHAOS!"

"Woaaaah." Sonic's eyes widened in awe as red energy bathed over Shadow, veins popping out on his body.

"**BLAST!" **

KA-BOOOOOOM! A huge red dome of energy sailed up, encasing all of the chimera as red fire swirled around them. For a few moments it was nothing but the redness as black lightning split across the dome, and then...

Shadow stood up, calmly dusting himself off...the chimera dissolving into dust as Sonic and the others stepped back into the room, Sonic kneeling sadly by one who only had a skull left, a skull that was quickly dissipating.

This one looked so young...this one looked like a child...

"Is that PITY I see in your eyes?" Shadow spoke coldly. "Those things were going to kill you. Mercy, sympathy, it's wasted on them."

"Those THINGS were once PEOPLE." Sonic told him angrily. "You insensitive-"

"_Once_...being the operative word." Shadow quietly butted in before Sonic could finish, waving a dismissive gloved hand in the air.

KRAKKA-KOOOOOM! It was then that the ceiling exploded and out fell Marine with a loud "CRIKEEEEY" as she plopped straight onto Shadow, flooring him on the spot as her pet koala landed neatly in Rouge's arms, a surprised expression flickering across her face as the koala blushed happily at being so close to such a fine figure.

"I've never been more glad to see you." Sonic cheerily told Marine as he lifted her off of Shadow, who mumbled something about this being "Evidence for corporal punishment against a child", Metal Sonic picking himself up out of the rubble as the others glared at him, Marine rushing to Omega's side.

"You. You're still alive. Oh joy." Omega said dryly, raising an invisible eyebrow before he turned on Marine. "Marine..." He spoke quietly, in a tone that was more dissapointed than truly angry. "...why didn't you go back to Soleanna?"

"I...I was just...I'm sorry." Marine said apologetically, hanging her head low and bowing. "I just, I...I felt bad about leaving you all behind and...and Metal said that the secret to being immortal was right in that direction." She added, jabbing her thumb behind her at the doorway Metal was now standing before. "I-I never meant to hurt anyone..."

"Oh no, d-don't cry!" Sonic said quickly, waving his hands in the air. "Please don't cry! I can't stand seeing girls cry! Omega, quick, forgive her!"

"Ugh. THIS is why I cannot STAND you organics, you non-Golem trash." Metal moaned, holding his head in one hand, rolling his eyes, a look of clear disdain flickering across his face. "I admit though, I'm surprised you're not dead yet. And to think, Omega, the **Burning Metallurgist** the **Blue Blur** AND those annoying chao who pulled the wool over my eyes...all here? Happy birthday to ME!"

The metallic hedgehog laughed eagerly, rubbing his clawed hands together. "If there is a God, he clearly loves me. Everybody I hate's all right in front of me! It's like a BUFFET! Ooh, this must be how Despair feels on a good day. Though I admit I'm slightly annoyed by you all apparently teaming up. How...Saturday morning cartoony." He mumbled, folding his arms and shaking his head back and forth. "What is this, POWER RANGERS?"

"You're "**Racism**", the Golem that changes his shape, correct? I imagine you can restructure your body at the genetic level." Shadow inquired.

"Oh yes. It's quite a handy ability I have." Metal mused. "Glad to see someone appreciates it, even if the compliment is from something like you. But c'mon. Seriously. Go angsty on Omega. I want to see you screaming "You murdered my comrades" at him. Or perhaps YOU'D like to say that line, my dear Shanazaran?" Metal asked of Omega, looking in his direction. "Perhaps accompanied by a grab of his collar?"

"...you bore me." Omega said calmly. "And we're not interested in indulging you in your delusional fantasy, you **boor**."

"BOORISH, am I? Admit it, isn't it fun seeing other people suffer? Watching people dance around, puppets pulled by strings from far above?" Metal Sonic asked, throwing his head back and laughing.

"No. Because I'm a **WINNER**." Shadow said calmly. "And not **TRASH**."

Metal Sonic shut up quickly, his head slowly pulling back, his red eyes turned to pinprick red flames as he began to shake with silent fury. He was positively LIVID.

"Now then...a little question." Shadow went on, gazing right into Metal's eyes. "...who killed Mighty the Armadillo?"

Metal was quiet, looking Shadow over as Sonic gasped, realizing what Shadow was implying, Rouge gripping one of her knives tightly as if she wanted to throw it into Metal Sonic's head.

"Wave the Swallow. You killed her yourself." Metal said, shrugging.

"No, it wasn't her."

"Oh MY!" Metal laughed, putting one hand on his chest. "You burned an innocent girl to death? Oh that's RICH! Hey, did you have to talk to her parents? Did they **cry** a lot? I'll bet they bawled like a baby-"

"Who...killed...Mighty." Shadow growled out. "I'm getting IMMENSELY tired of asking you Golems this f—king question."

"...hmm. WELL." Metal spoke softly, turning around and holding his hands in the air in a defeated gesture. "Heh-heh-heh-heh. I guess you figured it out. **Congratulations**!"

"I seriously doubt a giggling MORON like you beat Mighty in a fight that could have been even remotely fair." Shadow said, every syllable dripping with distaste.

"A moron? Heh. Nah, a moron is someone like your friend Mr. Milo who fell for such an easy trick. Here, since you guessed right..._you get a prize_." Metal laughed coldly, whipping around...

Transforming into Mrs. Wille Mae Milo.

Rouge's eyes went wide. Sonic froze stock, struggling to catch his breath. Shadow's face became a pinched mass of disgust, fury and horrific realization.

"Your face is so PALE now." Metal mused, putting a hand to his lip and then sneering. "Ohhh, I _LOVE_ that expression." He said in a vaguely sexual tone, like he was getting a sexual high just from looking upon their pained and disturbed expressions. "And I love their screams as they realize the horror that they're facing. Mighty couldn't BEAR to shoot his own wife! Oh, he looked so upset, that tragic face scrunched up in despair, tears brimming in his eyes...it was BEAUTIFUL, just _BEAUTIFUL_!" The faker crooned, licking off his fingers with his tongue before finally dissolving away into hysterical, high, cold laughter as he transformed back into his metallic form.

"You did it. Fine. All...I needed to know. Because now...I'm going to rip out your eyeballs and make you eat them." Shadow growled, holding up a fist as it burned with chaos energy.

SCHA-THWOORRRSH!

Metal Sonic's laughter was cut short as something CUT across his lower facial region, and wires and circuitry were exposed. He screamed with pain, bloody-red oil oozing to the ground as he began hacking and coughing, Shadow smiling coldly. "And look. I'm so nice I just gave you a mouth to eat them with." He whispered.

"You'd best get moving." Rouge murmured quietly to the others. "We can handle this."

"...but..." Sonic spoke up, looking from Metal to Shadow to Rouge.

"Come on, you heard him, mate. Let's get crackin'! We got that Big Bad to beat down, remember?" Marine insisted as she tugged Sonic along, the others moving through the doorway as Metal looked over at them, annoyed with this before he turned back to Shadow.

"To think...you've been looking for who killed Mighty for MONTHS now. Oh, how TOUCHING." Metal managed to laugh out as he began to heal. "Such beautiful, touching friendship. Such sweet devotion to your dearly departed friend. Allow me to honor it with giving you a slow death."

Before Shadow and Rouge's eyes he began transforming, becoming a colossal, draconic, metal-armored creature with many long spikes running down it's back, a tank-esque form beneath a muscular torso and a serpentine tail lashing back and forth. The beast's a long, black visor slit with a single reptilian-esque red eye gazed down mockingly at Shadow as it leered with it's fang-filled mouth, it's blazing chaos emerald sparkling in the room.

"I can't hold back in this form!" The Metal Overlord crowed. "So don't blame me when you get torn to-"

Shadow snapped his fingers. The Metal Overlord then found himself impaled at the top of his head, his shoulders and his arms, lifted up into the air and twisted about, screaming all the while as sliver-esque strands of chaos energy attached to a giant construct of something a puppeteer used to control a marionette.

"What was that you were saying earlier about "puppets on a string"? Doesn't feel too good, does it?" Shadow asked, having the strings wrap around the Metal Overlord and TIGHTEN around his neck, cutting the head off and making the screaming beast flounder around as Rouge gritted her teeth, clearly put off by what Shadow was doing. "I can't BELIEVE you thought "bigger was better" when facing someone like me." He added, clapping his hands together.

THA-WHOOOOOM! The Metal Overlord was now strapped to a stake, and a bonfire began to roast him, making the thing howl and wail. How, HOW was this fire hurting him so badly? How could it be burning through his armor?

But Shadow wasn't finished yet. He held up a fist and tightened it so hard that it almost broke through his glove as a construct of chaos energy formed...two enormous hands that began SQUEEZING Metal Overlord tightly as Shadow's pinprick eyes glared balefully at the golem. "I want to see you begging." Shadow spoke calmly. "_Begging _before the Ultimate Power."

_I keep forgetting, he's the one that killed Sonia!_ Metal Overlord grit his teeth, trying to concentrate through the excruciating pain. His tail shot up into the air, knocking into the ceiling and sending a flurry of stone falling down all over, forcing Shadow back and removing his concentration for a minute. The constructs vanished as the Metal Overlord smoothly transitioned back to his Metal Sonic form, racing through the doorway the others had gone through to escape.

"Clever lil' rat." Shadow muttered.

"Hedgehog." Rouge corrected.

"You stay here, Rouge." Shadow insisted firmly, putting one hand on her shoulder as she blinked in surprise. "...I can take care of him." He whispered, rushing through the doorway, fists blazing with chaos energy.

Rouge hesitated, looking at the doorway for a moment, not doing anything. Then, a few moments later she rushed in, her knives at the ready.

"UGH. The closer we get to Void, the more it feels like worms are crawling over me." Leigh mumbled as he shook with disgust, Marine leading the way.

"That person is an affront to the Rhythm of the Earth." Marine insisted, shaking her head back and forth. "I wanna BEAT the secret of immortality outta him."

Sonic was quiet, though, thinking to himself. Omega, however, knew exactly what he was thinking of and tapped him on the shoulder with a single claw.

"What?"

"I know what your comrade is going through. I too was caught up in the irrationality of revenge. If he does not get off that path...he is going to lose sight of everything he was." The Shanazaran warned softly, almost kindly.

THRAKKA-BROOOOOOM!

Another enormous chunk of hallway exploded as Metal Sonic raced for his life, Shadow's yells echoing after him. "Come out, come out, WHEREVER YOU AAAARE!"

"Dammit, dammit, dammit!" Metal hissed as he hid behind a hallway edge. "How can this trash be defeating me? No matter, I shan't let you get anywhere close to my designer's room, and I know just how to throw you off..."

Shadow heard a "tap" sound as someone stepped out into the hallway. He wheeled around, eyes widening at the sight of-

Mighty. Smiling gleefully at him. "Hey, Shadow. What's happedy-hap?"

Shadow's eyes widened. His face paled as his body shook.

"HA-HA! NOW'S MY CHANCE!" Metal laughed coldly, launching his stolen body forward-

A chaos energy blast sent him spiraling into the wall and Shadow snapped his fingers over and over as he fist-shaped constructs of chaos energy struck "Mighty" over and over again, bones cracking, cheeks breaking, limbs bent.

"Wh-why would-would you attack yo-your best-"

"MIGHTY IS **DEAD**!" Shadow roared. "YOU killed him! ALL YOU'RE DOING IS **ANGERING** ME!"

_I've got no choice, I have to get close to him if I want to fight, he can't use techniques like that so close to his body_, Metal Sonic insisted to himself, transforming back and leaping through the air, claws outstretched. "We'll die TOGETHER, then!" He howled.

SCHA-SCHLUCKA!

A thick knife of red and black energy cut through Metal Sonic's head as he was sent crashing to the ground, Shadow holding the knife up high and jabbing it into Metal's quivering body over and over and over. "I! HAVE! HAD! ENOUGH! OF! YOU!" He roared out.

"Have to...have to get away..." Metal thought, shimmering as he transformed into a snake, fear gripping his lack of heart as he slithered off to escape, Shadow angrily growling in frustration.

Rouge looked left and right, twirling her knives in both hands, ready for anything. She did NOT want to be caught off guard, she thought to herself as she rounded a corner-

"YAAAH!" She and Shadow jumped into the air, blinking in surprise.

"Don't SCARE me like that, Rouge." Shadow said, shaking his head back and forth. "I almost blasted you straight into the wall, lieutenant. And you shouldn't be taking Metal on, he's out of your league and you know it."

"Sorry sir, I couldn't help but disobey orders." Rouge spoke apologetically, shaking her head as Shadow led the way down a hallway. "Just like I can't help doing THIS." She added, putting a knife to the back of Shadow's neck.

"What in blazes do you think you're doing?" Shadow snapped angrily.

"You're jokin', right, babe? When we're alone, Shadow likes to call me "sugar"...sugar." Rouge said tauntingly, "Shadow" stiffening in surprise.

"You two are TOGETH-"

**SCHA-SCHLUCKA!** Rouge's knife went straight through his neck and he screamed, falling down as Rouge smirked, the golem staggering back to his feet.

"Thanks for fallin' for it. Now do me a favor and DIE." Rouge added, rushing forward, slicing and spinning around, her knives carving into him over and over, sharper than steel, slicker than oil, faster than lightning. He was like a Christmas turkey, and SHE got to make the first slices-

Unfortunately Metal fought dirty, and launched some dust from the ground up into her eyes, forcing her back. Sneering, he then pinned her to the ground, laughing coldly. "I'm going to bring you back to your colonel in so many bleeding pieces-"

An enormous meat cleaver sparkling with black lightning struck Metal in the head, knocking him off of Rouge as he howled in pain, yanking the construct out of his head as he gazed up in horror at Shadow who loomed over him, fury etched onto every line in his face. "What do you think you're doing to her?" He whispered softly, coldly.

"D-damn you, sapient..." Metal growled out, his growl rising to a screech. "DON'T YOU DARE LOOK DOWN-!"

A snap of gloved fingers.

Pain. Excruciating pain.

And Metal's body began to dissolve away, his last gasp echoing through the hallway. "On...on _meeeee_..."

PLOP. His tiny, egg-shaped fetal form hit the ground and before he could crawl away to safety, Shadow had snatched him up and was holding him in his hands, ready to crush him. "So, this is your real form? Truly "Racism" is an ugly, UGLY thing." He muttered, fingers tightening their grip.

"N-no-no...please..." The fetal **Racism** whimpered.

"BEGONE FROM MY SIGHT!"

"No...**_NOOOOOO_**!"

A knife pressed into Shadow's neck. "Put...him down...sir." Rouge spoke quietly.

"What do you think you're doing?" Shadow asked dangerously, his eyes glancing over in his direction.

"I can't let you finish him off, sir." Rouge said calmly, shaking her head back and forth, her voice also becoming soft. "Open your hand, please."

"I'm not doing it." Shadow growled furiously. "Now put down your weapon!" He snapped.

"I can't DO that." Rouge insisted.

"I SAID PUT DOWN-"

THWIP!

Shadow had been distracted just long enough, and now Sonic was there in the hallway, holding tightly onto Shadow, the chao and Omega standing behind him. Shadow glared over at Sonic as the blue hedgehog held Racism firmly, and the black and red hedgehog held up a gloved hand. "Hand him over, **Blue Blur**. That's an **order**."

"Take your order and shove it." Sonic said firmly. "I am NOT handing him over."

"I SAID HAND HIM OVER OR I'LL BURN YOUR ARM OFF WITH HIM!" Shadow snarled, his face more beast than hedgehog in a brief, fleeting moment.

"BRING IT ON! I'll take you ANYTIME." Sonic said cockily. "...but first look at your FACE, man." He added, his voice dropping in pitch, becoming quiet, solemn as Shadow blinked slightly in confusion. "Look at what you're doing. You wanna lead the country. You wanna be a PRESIDENT, not a FIRING SQUAD!"

"If you want to let your fury turn you into a beast, that's fine." Omega said, nodding. "But I wonder what it would be like...having a country being led by a beast disguised as a man."

"But...but I finally HAVE him!" Shadow managed to get out, clenching his fist angrily and grinding his teeth. "After so long..." He whispered, shaking his head back and forth.

It wasn't fair. He'd been wanting to avenge Mighty for so long, and now that he finally HAD the killer where he wanted, it was in a circumstance where he couldn't fairly KILL him!

"You're not doing this to save a friend or to help the country! You're doing it to satisfy your own hatred!" Rouge insisted, shaking her head back and forth, her hand shaking as he held the knife up. "Don't go where I can't follow..."

"Are you really going to kill me?" Shadow asked quietly. "What would happen if you DID kill me?"

"I'm not interested in living a happy, carefree life all alone. If you die...then my body will leave this world...along with the Burning Metallurgist." Rouge spoke softly, bowing her head.

Shadow gripped his hand tightly...and then fell to his knees, letting out a long, pained gasp, shaking his head back and forth as tears brimmed in his eyes. "What was I doing?" He murmured. "...I can't believe it. Lectured by my rival and my enemy...and almost making you cry..." He spoke to Rouge, looking up at her, a pained expression on his face. "I'm such a fool." He whispered, holding one hand over his head.

Rouge smiled gently as Shadow stood up, and put her knife away, gently embracing Shadow as he sighed. "I'm sorry, Rouge. I was such an idiot. I should never have lowered myself to his level." He murmured, patting her on the back. "I'm so sorry..."

"No you're not." **Racism** snapped, rolling his eyes. "Dear LORD. What the hell is this? From "Power Rangers" to a soap opera! Stop the bullshit "peace and love" stuff, nobody REALLY acts like that."

The others just looked at him, blinking, saying nothing as he kept speaking.

"If you don't wanna kill me, fine, then why not take care of Omega over there! He tried to kill you, didn't he bubblebutt? And he tried to off you too, colonel! And not only that, didn't he kill your friend's parents and that nice little girl Maria?" **Racism** laughed hysterically.

The others said nothing. Sonic's face, however, was showing a look of dawning realization.

"Come on! Stop trying to hold the moral high ground, you know you really want to KILL him! Fight through your pain! Show him how you really feel!" **Racism** cackled. "You'll never get another chance like this to-"

"Racism is hatred. Hatred for other races. And I get it now...you hate your own race. You hate **yourself**." Sonic spoke quietly.

The golem shut up on the spot, whipping in Sonic's direction.

"Humans...sapients...Shanazarans...we don't have your skills...but our nature is good. We can rise above instincts. We can become kind and noble and gentle beings. It's in our **nature** to become better people." Sonic went on, a look of genuine pity settling across his face. "You don't think of **us** as trash...you think of **yourself** as trash, and you hate that you aren't as good as us, so you hide how you really feel by hiding behind a false face...and by mocking the ones you admire the most." Sonic murmured quietly.

The tiny Golem gazed up at Sonic, his body quivering as the others watched on, expressions of vague pity and disdain mixing as Racism let out a tiny, soft gasp.

"He...I...I'm..." He whispered.

And suddenly he began to SCREAM, to scream like the cry of a child, howling and wailing as Sonic, caught off guard, let him go and the little thing flailed around upon the ground like a child that had been dropped out of his parent's arms. The others just stood there, not sure WHAT to do as Racism wailed over and over, finally picking himself up, hands held over his eyes.

"Reduced to this...beaten in such a way...and worst of all...to have you say that, YOU of all people being the one to _understand how I feel!_" The tiny golem screamed, tears falling down from his eyes as he plunged one hand into his stomach, Sonic gasping in surprise as Racism ripped out the tiny chaos emerald from within, crushing it in his hands.

His body began to slowly burn up into tiny embers as tears trickled down his cheeks, the golem laughing sadly up at Sonic. "I guess...this is what happens...when you fight your hero." He whispered. "How far can that simplistic outlook take you?"

His dying hit the ground, legs resting atop each other, arms sprayed out, his voice echoing through the hall as the rest of him finally burnt up.

"_Goodbye_..._Sonic the Hedgehog_..."

"...suicide?...you coward..." Shadow muttered, pinching the space between his eyes as Sonic closed his eyes, sighing slightly.

"...let's get going." Omega finally spoke up. "...we have promises to keep and miles to go before we sleep."

They turned, heading down the hallway as Sonic stopped momentarily, looking back in the oddly ironic dusty remains of the golem.

"_...goodbye...Metal."_ Sonic prayed silently.


	44. Countdown, Part Four

_In trying to obtain the power to bring our mother back to life, we crossed the line._

_We took things too far, and we were brought down to Earth. _

_But now all that seems to pale in comparison to the threat that looms over our heads, for a madman is trying to sacrifice an entire nation for his own fiendish goals, and all the cards are in his hand._

_We're facing impossible odds. But I believe we can win._

_We just need to have a little faith. _

**Episode Forty:**

**カウントダウン、パート****4**

**Countdown, Part Four!**

"Darn it." Sonic mumbled. "I'm **sure** it was this way." He told the others as they headed down the long and labyrinthine hallway.

"Don't tell me you got us lost, you idiot." Shadow told him, frowning slightly.

"Look, buddy boy, if I hadn't had to come down to stop a certain red and black MORON from making the biggest mistake of his life, we wouldn't be IN this mess. You gotta learn to control your temper!" Sonic protested.

"The person who screams and jumps up and down when someone insults his weight wants to lecture me on temperament?" Shadow mused, shutting Sonic up instantly.

"Keep it down, or the enemy shall find us." Omega said calmly.

"I want to thank you." Rouge admitted nervously. "For...for what you said earlier. It...it really made a difference, I think. And...and I know it must feel cheap, me...me saying this to you, Shanazaran."

"...you do not need to say you are...grateful. I am...fine...with results." Omega said, though Rouge detected a nervousness to his tone...and was fairly sure she almost saw a hint of a blush to his cheeks.

"What the heck is going on?" General Fiona yelled out as she and the other generals tried to muster the soldiers together, General Angelus having run off to go get some rifles to take pot shots at the enemy himself. There was a loud crackling noise over the intercom system of Central HQ, and it wasn't long before a voice was echoing out over said intercom.

"Attention Central Forces. This is Captain Draco. The Nocturne Forces and Colonel Shadow's men have taken control of your Operations Center!" We have 15 men in custody and General Chewie captured!"

"YOU SONS OF BITCHES!" General Chewie's voice yelled out in the background. "Don't listen to him! Fight on! Fight on!"

"Yep. That's General Chewie alright." General Fiona sighed, brushing her hair back. "Could things get any worse?"

Well, meanwhile, Shade and Knuckles were contending with a little problem. First of all, Ibilis had transformed and was barely held down by the crystalline bonds that Knuckles had formed from his metallurgic skills. He was mere moments away from breaking free, and worse still, the captain of the guard and his men were STILL unsure as to whether or not they should let Knuckles and Shade live. But as Shade herself had put it, it was not their typical day at work. They had to think outside of the box, or else die.

"What's going on in here?"

The captain of the guard turned his head as other guards made their way out into the busted-open new "courtyard" that Ibilis had created for the HQ after bursting his fiery way through the walls. "Aren't these two supposed to be executed?"

"...we don't really have the time to do that. There are more important things to worry over." The captain of the guard told his comrade, shaking his head back and forth. "Like the honking big thing with the magma body over there." He said, gesturing at Ibilis.

"What IS that thing?"

"_That thing_?" Ibilis roared out angrily. "My title is **Fanaticism**, the zealous! My father, the great designer Void, has demanded that I wipe you two from this world!" He snarled down at Shade and Knuckles. "And any who would stand in my way are my enemies!"

"He's...big." The other captain murmured nervously. "...can you...um...like...kill it?" He asked Knuckles and Shade.

"**Yes**." The two said simply.

Ibilis began laughing so hard his knees buckled and he dissolved away into pained gasps, hacking and coughing as the others saw a surprising and oddly surreal sight. Before their eyes, the beast began to shrink down to the size of a sapient. He was now no longer a giant monstrosity but a lizard with fiery, molten skin, who had bright yet slightly stupid-looking green eyes that shone like gems in the dark, three clawed hands gripping his sides as he stood alongside standing alongside a crystalline hedgehog. This being had a bright red pair of eyes and a reptilian green pupil in each one, with no real "feet" save for crystal-like stubs, and quills that ended strange, glowing, purple/blue crystals. He held his clawed nails over his lack of mouth, chuckling somehow as he and Ibilis composed themselves.

"...oh goodie...I remember how annoying this form was before, now we have to contend with you both at the same time?" Shade said, growling as he held one hand over her head, shaking it back and forth.

"You won't be doing it alone!" A voice rang out.

Everyone whipped their heads in the direction of the voice, catching sight of a cobalt-skinned echidna standing atop of Central HQ by one of its' many flagpoles, holding a fist up high, beaming proudly and defiantly as she stood by her father, who had his arms folded in front of his chest. It was none other than Tikal Nuahatl and her father, Pachacamac. The guards all blinked in surprise as Ibilis looked up at her, scratching his head. "You?" He murmured.

"Who the heck?" The captain of the guard mumbled.

"When most people ask me who I am, I say I'm just a simple teacher, or a mentor figure, nothing special." Tikal said calmly. "But I got called here...by a "friend" who said I was needed. I am...a METALLURGIST!" She proclaimed proudly, leaping through the air as she and her father rode down a slide made of metal, standing by Shade and Knuckles's sides.

"Good, we're going to need the extra help...**because those freaky things are back**!" The captain of the guard yelled as more chimera began rushing out onto the opened area, snarling and hissing and screaming.

"Think of 'em as zombies!" Knuckles roared out as he held up his fists and did a series of rapid, burning punches, faint burning afterimages composing into metallic replicas slamming into the heads of the chimera, Knuckles finding himself EXTREMELY grateful for his spiked knuckles. "Strike them in the head, and they'll stay dead!"

"Show me the valor of Central HQ!" Shade roared out, leaping through the air as she led the charge, slicing at the hordes of chimera, her steely rapier blade cutting through bone and tendon like tissue paper as the other soldiers joined in the attack. For a few brief moments it was nothing but pure, unadulterated brawling as the central soldiers went positively crazy. It was as if they'd turned into wild, savage animals all over again, smashing in the heads of the creatures, clawing, tearing, even biting when necessary, all in an attempt to destroy the heads of the things, the chimera's biggest weak spots.

Ibilis and Mephiles looked at each other. "We should do something." Ibilis admitted. "I think it might be time...we pulled "that" trick."

"Using "it"? For THESE foes? I almost feel like we are wasting it on such unworthy heretics." Mephiles admitted, shaking his head back and forth.

"Think of it as a souvenir from an avenging angel before they're sent to Hell. As the saying goes, better to burn out than fade away." Ibilis argued. "And it really is our truest and most noble form."

"True...true. We should not be brawling savagely the way these heretics are. We shall ascend." Mephiles decided.

"Ascend?" Tikal inquired, a confused expression coming to her features. "What the heck are you talking about?" She wanted to know as the others around her finished their job in dealing with the chimera, letting out large, panting gasps as they turned to look at Mephiles and Ibilis.

"We were chosen..." Ibilis said calmly.

"To take the next step in evolution!" Mephiles laughed.

"To ascend to a new level beyond even golems." The two roared out, holding their arms out away from their bodies before sweeping it over their heads.** "FUUUUUSION!"**

"No f—kin' way." Shade mumbled.

**"HA!"** The two split sides of the golem **Fanaticism** roared out, bending over as their pointer fingers touched together. In an instant, it was like being plunged into the middle of a sun as burning heat and intense light filled everyone's vision, yet a moment later...that was gone, and instead, something new had appeared, now hovering far above them all in the air.

It was beautiful and yet terrible at the same time, chillingly haunting and yet awe-inspiring in it's appearance. It was a gigantic, vaguely Egyptian-dressed avian of some kind, a giant falcon or hawk with three sharp claw-like "fingers" at the end of gauntlet covered hands, and a proud and muscular chest. It had no "legs", and hovered in the air on skeletal wings made of bony spikes, and a sun-like insignia made of six petals of shimmering pearly white hovering behind it like some kind of peacock-esque display of feathers. It possessed a pair of deep, golden/white eyes that gazed down upon them all, firm and absolute in it's power.

"Behold." It spoke calmly. **"Behold the countenance of your destroyer."**

"...oh...dear." Tikal mumbled nervously. "...ohhhh deaaaaar. This is not good. This-this isn't good." She said, shaking her head back and forth.

"Well, this is oddly fitting, I suppose." Knuckles admitted. "...and problematic." He added as the giant thing clenched it's enormous claws. "An air-fight. I'm...I'm not good with aerial targets."

"Killing Ibilis...or rather, Mephiles, or...this...this THING...will be slightly more harder than it was before, I suppose." Shade said, shrugging. "But I enjoy a challenge."

"THING? I am no "thing". I am Solaris." Solaris spoke in his powerful, faintly echoing voice. It lowered its head to gaze down squarely at Shade, an amused expression creeping over the giant being's vaguely non-corporeal form. "You have **spunk**, little one. That must count for something, I suppose."

The great beast let out a giant breath of wind as Knuckles quickly dug his knuckles into the ground, the others around him being swept back as Shade dug her rapier into the ground and Tikal and Pachacamac grabbed ahold of a tree that was still standing in the courtyard. With the other guards out of the way, Solaris's claws shot out, grabbing ahold of Shade as he grinned to himself, Shade stabbing her rapier into him, making him cry out, then growl down at her.

"Spunk again, but though it's admirable, it's misguided." He told her calmly, his other claws gripping her tightly and beginning to squeeze. "Concede, child!"

BUDDA-BRAK! An enormous fist made of titanium shot out from the ground, Knuckles holding his hands high as he angrily snarled, more fists striking into Solaris over and over, the echidna grateful that the beast had gotten close enough to the ground. "DON'T! YOU! TOUCH! MY! SISTER!" He yelled out.

"Very well, brave one...then YOU shall bare the brunt of my fury." Solaris whispered coldly, tossing Shade away and opening his jaws wide, circular balls of light forming around his maw as an enormous pulsing beam of energy that blazed a brilliant white/gold shot out at Knuckles, who howled in agony as he tried to erect a shield to defend himself. Even this powerful crystalline shield was unable to keep him fully protected, the burning-hot heat from the beam making his flesh sizzle.

"We've got to help him!" Tikal called out.

"My brother can handle a few love taps." Shade insisted, picking herself up as blood trickled down from her forehead and she spat out a tooth. _"Kick...it's...ASS."_ She prayed quietly.

Solaris held his clawed fists up, opening them as he let out a proud roar, burning meteors sizzling up from his palms the way he'd formed a diamond-skinned hedgehog for Shadow. He launched them down at Knuckles, who was being tossed around like he was a chew toy, Solaris angrily gazing down at him. "Why will you not give UP?" It roared out. "You cannot hope to stop me in my righteous quest! I have GOD on my side! Concede and offer penance to your superior!"

In that instant, Knuckles's eyes blazed as the entire place seemed to shake like an Earthquake had hit it as Shade beamed. Yes...this was it!

THRUDDA-BROOOOM! Knuckles soared through the air, now flying high as "The Pink" enveloped his body, glistening white sparkles of energy glistened around his brightly glowing pink body. He struck the golem in the face over and over again, roaring like a bull as Shade nodded in approval, folding her arms in front of her chest. "Now THAT'S...more like it."

"You...certainly...are...annoying." Solaris managed to grunt out as he was being knocked around through the air, Knuckles's punches striking him over and over with the force of a missile slamming into him. A moment later, Knuckles soared up into the heavens, high above Solaris as Tikal raced down underneath with her father, the two clasping their hands as a metallic structure began to form below, Knuckles surrounding his body with metal of his own, Solaris gasping in surprise. Now Knuckles was at the front of an enormous mechanized suit of armor, spiked knuckles held high as the glittering white knight held a powerful fist high, spiked wings spread out wide.

It struck the golem squarely in the chest as the thing's eyes widened and it let out a screeching howl, plummeting towards the ground as Tikal snapped her fingers, activating the structure as it shot up, encasing Solaris in a metal, spike-tipped net. The golem flailed around, screaming and howling as silvery blood oozed out everywhere, the others getting as far away as possible as Knuckles descended, aiming up another fist, shooting forward.

Chunks of metal went flying everywhere as Knuckles blew fake dust off his fist as the net faded away, leaving Solaris in a bloody heap. "The majestic muscular metallurgy of the Knuckles Clan, when combined with our prominent power of "The Pink"...has no comparison."

"D-damn you, God DAMN you!" Solaris gasped out, suddenly noticing that his body was reverting back to his Mephiles form. "What...what's hap...I'm..."

His eyes widened as even that began to change, and the crystalline hedgehog was now transforming back into the magma-scaled lizard Ibilis. "I'm...dying? I'm...I'm DYING?" He whispered, seeing his body beginning to harden into a diamond-like substance, his legs becoming rooted to the spot, his voice like a breeze fading into the night. "...but...but it was...I thought..._Shadow_...I won't get to see you again..."

Tikal saw a silvery tear slip down the golem's hardening cheek as his final words managed to slip out. "Shadow, I wanted to see you just..._one more time_..."

There was silence for a few moments as Knuckles's armor faded and he folded his arms, bowing his head slightly, Tikal walking over to the crystallized golem and gently placing a hand on it's cheek. "...I'm sorry." She told it quietly. "...forgive us, please. But you didn't give us any choice." She whispered.

"Pity for the enemy?" Shade asked softly.

"Don't say anything, Shade." Knuckles insisted quietly. "...just DON'T."

"...I don't think there's anything I COULD say." Shade admitted. "...except...maybe we should go find Shadow...and the others."

BRIIIING! BRIIIING!

Shade blinked, noticing a phone had remained untouched by the carnage. Blinking, she went over and picked it up. "Hello? What? OH, that IS good news!"

"What is it?" Knuckles asked.

"My men have captured the Operations Center and General Chewie has been captured." Shade informed him and the others. "Is Bark there?"

"This is he him speaking."

"Bark, listen. There seem to be **chimera** on the loose in Central HQ."

"...chimera? As in those strange things with the bodies that are mix and match-"

"YES. They were the Central head's idea of a "perfect army". They're very hard to kill and they'll try and eat you alive. I don't want you to leave a **single one **alive!"

"We WON'T." Bark growled, slamming the phone back down onto the hook. "Listen up! We have new orders!"

"We need to keep going." Knuckles spoke up to Shade.

"After everything you just did?" Tikal asked, looking surprised. "Aren't you tired?"

"Tired schmired. There will be time enough to rest when all this is over." Shade reasoned, waving a dismissive hand in the air. "Let's go take care of the rest of those chimera."

"General Chewie, you moron." Angelus mumbled as he and a small group of guards headed for Dr. Eggman's command room. "I can't believe he let himself get captured!" He told them as he made a beeline for the desk to get ahold of the phone. "How can anybody possibly be so stupid as to-"

Then the door they had thought they'd closed behind them was knocked down...the chimera's cry echoing loudly, drowning out their screams, which were cut short anyhow.

...

...

...

...NiGHTS and Void stood across from each other in Void's private laboratory, Void crossing his arms as his lips became a calm, taut line, NiGHTS stretching his arms out and grinning in a broad fashion. "C'mon. Give your big sister a hug."

"..."

NiGHTS tilted his head to the side, surprised at Void's reaction. "Nothing? Not even a witty comeback and an attack packed into one?"

"Nope."

"You're no FUN anymore." NiGHTS told him, hovering off the ground and pouting. "I mean, you used to really wear your emotions and your heart on your sleeve. You had such big dreams along with me. We had so much going for us, YOU had so much going for you. I believed you when you said you wanted to make paradise on Earth, but your idea of "peace on Earth" was "killing everyone on it"."

"No-no-nooooo." Void said, looking genuinely offended by these words as he raised a clawed digit in the air and waved it back and forth. "I don't want anything remotely like that! In fact, I'm offended that you think that way. What I'm doing needs to be done."

"I don't think you know what to do with YOURSELF, let alone what to do to help save the world." NiGHTS said. "You believed you got rid of the worst sins related to magic and science, to faith and logic. Fanaticism, racism, flippancy, despair, ignorance, cruelty, selfishness...did you think that by ridding yourself of them you'd become pure? Didn't you see "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde? Didn't you see what happened when HE tried to rid himself of his dark side? Didn't you worry in the slightest?"

"Shut UP!" Void whined, shaking his head back and forth. "He was only using science, I was using metallurgic techniques, the magnificent blend of science and magic."

"You can't get rid of a problem by ignoring it or sweeping it under a rug. The point is to OVERCOME it." NiGHTS said. "The cardinal virtues of Christianity are there to beat the 7 Deadly Sins over the head, you're supposed to choose them over evil. You just thought that by taking away your right to choose "evil" you were choosing good, but you're not moral at all, you're AMORAL."

"I'm insulted." Void said, looking hurt as he pursed his lips. "My methods are extreme, but really, only future generations have the right to decide if what I'm doing is right or wrong."

"Nah, I think we can judge you right now. YOU ARE A THUNDERING LOONY!" NiGHTS roared out, snapping his fingers at him as burning blasts of flame shot forward, striking out at him as Void ducked and swerved to avoid them.

Void decided to launch his counterattack and snapped his fingers, launching blazing bolts of lightning in NiGHTS direction over and over as NiGHTS swerved around in the air, dancing about like a bird.

"I'm GLAD I got rid of you!" Void yelled out as he clasped his hands together and slammed them into the ground, enormous metal fists jutting forth from the laboratory floor and striking into NiGHTS again and again. "I couldn't wait to have some peace and quiet away from your prattling about humans and sapients and-"

"What a LOAD!" NiGHTS laughed, suddenly spinning around like a tornado as purplish energy swirled around him, the metallic fists being shredded to pieces as he composed himself. "You act like you're Dr. Frankenstein, building the perfect creations and trying to hide behind a guise of being a master scientist...but you're no Chessmaster. I KNOW you."

Void snapped his fingers as a bristling lance of blackish/red chaos energy shot out through the air, NiGHTS grabbing it in midair and snapping it. "When you were younger, all you did was **mock** the idea of families, and yet what was the first thing you did when you had all that power? Make yourself a son, and then a daughter, and then MORE sons! You couldn't stand being away from me, so you made yourself a family to cope with driving away the only relative you **HAD!**"

Void's drew in a harsh breath, eyes widening suddenly as he stiffened on the spot. There was silence for a few moments as Void held his face for a few moments, sighing quietly. And then...

THWOOSH. He shot through the air, faster than NiGHTS could have imagined, pinning him to the ground as the purple jester found herself trapped by bonds of chaos energy beneath him. "You're right! I've missed you for so long. And now I think it's time we got a little bit CLOSER." He mused, as strange wires of techno-organic thread began to emerge from his back, snaking their way overhead, reaching down for NiGHTS's forced-open mouth. "OPEEEEEN..."

NiGHTS saw his chance and SPAT into his mouth. Void gasped and spluttered, reeling back as NiGHTS jumped to his feet, smirking as Void screamed, a burning, searing pain rising in his body as if he was a giant wound and somebody had just dunked him in salt. "What in the funkin' wagnel did you DO?"

"I did what you never took the time to do." NiGHTS said, a cheery smile stretching across her face. "You won't beat us."

"US?"

_ "S-stop, stop talking! Please, everyone, STOP! I'm-**DO A U-TURN!" **NiGHTS mumbled as he tumbled around through the air, hovering over the desert, his tone becoming high-pitched and hysterical. He had been travelling for weeks now through the desert and had yet to see a single town or other being. Mercifully he didn't really need to eat or drink, but that didn't help matters considering he had millions of people screaming inside of his head. "I can't focus, calm down, Jackle, I need you and Owl to-**TURNIIIIIPS!**" _

_At last...he could take no more, and he collapsed to the ground, hacking and coughing as unconsciousness began to stake it's claim upon him. _

_But...mercifully..._

_He was awoken by a small mouse which gently patted him on the forehead. He found himself located in the hospital wing of a gloriously-decorated golden and silver hospital as people stood around him, clearly intrigued by him. What caught his attention the most though was a figure that was standing in the center of the room, looking over at the mouse and at him. The figure appeared to be almost clothed in brilliant brass-gold light with only the faintest hint of masculinity visible, all else was lost in the bright shine of it's body. A sense of firm but fair authority radiated from it as it spoke up. "That is enough, Hannah, I believe he's ready to speak with us."_

_"...wh-where am I?" NiGHTS managed to mumble out._

_"You are in Soleanna." the being spoke. "I am the Metatron, the Voice of God."_

_"...God hates me." NiGHTS mumbled. "...God really, REALLY hates me. I...I couldn't do a thing for them."_

_"Who?"_

_"...what's the worst thing you've ever done?"_

_"I suppose ordering the deaths of criminals who showed no remorse for their crimes."_

_"...I can top that." NiGHTS laughed sadly. "...I let down an entire city. I let down my best friend, my mentor...and I couldn't stop my brother from literally getting away with murder. And would you believe it..." He put a hand on his chest. "I used to be a GIRL."_

_Everyone blinked stupidly, looking at each other._

_"You are a...guy?" Hannah the Mouse inquired. "I couldn't really...tell."_

_"It's alright, my daughter. Hannah, get our new friend some chocolate. I think...we need to have a talk." The Metatron advised._

"Jackle and Owl were our friends. And then there was Wizeman, our king, flawed as he was. There was Nicky, the hawk, he was a writer...and his friend, Kiba, the two were practically inseperable. There was Jenny, the cat. She liked drawing pictures of unicorns. Bally, the butcher. Bit of an idiot, but a sweet-hearted man. Mr. Martin the Mouse, he wanted to be a scientist. Johnathan, he was practicing to be a swordsman and join the royal guard...Helen. Sweet little girl. She was the royal chef's daughter. Elliot...nice kid. Good at sports. Would have made it big time if he'd had more time. Finny, an echidna. He was going t have his hands cut off for being a thief but even HE feels disgusted with what you've done. And all of them...just got sent into you. Guess what they're about to do before they return to me?"

"What?"

"F-k...you...UUUUUUP." NiGHTS said, making a "ghetto" gesture with one hand, laughing. "You gave me an immortal body. And despite going mad a few times, being forced to down fluids babbling incoherently..."

"Sounds like our second year in school." Void sneered.

"I did what you never were willing to do. I took the time to get to know EVERY SINGLE ONE of the souls within me." NiGHTS said. "And they're about to break you open from the INSIDE."

A moment later, Void let out a scream as an enormous sword comprised of swirling rainbow energy suddenly jutted out, hilt first, from his chest. Void looked down at it, gaping for a few moments as NiGHTS held out a hand, the sword being absorbed back into her body as Void began hacking, coughing out blood as NiGHTS stood there, a sad expression on her face.

"I AM sorry, brother." NiGHTS spoke. "...but you didn't give me any choice."

...

...

...

..."Where's the spare tire?" Shiki wanted to know, frowning as the others got out of the car and Tails scratched his head, turning to Nack.

"...funny story, that." Nack admitted. "It involves a cheetah, several pounds of marijuana and this nice Indian fellow..."

"You know what? I don't want to know." Shiki snapped. "Could anybody be in more hell than us?"

"HOOORAAAAAAAAAAH!" Bark roared, grabbing ahold of a panda-bear-faced chimera, smashing his fist down atop it's head, crushing it completely as it dropped to the ground, several grateful-looking female sapients beaming over in his direction. "Is no needing for thanking me."

"Ohhhh, baby, I want you to sex me up right now!" One crooned, caressing his cheek.

"Well, it's nothing, any man would be doing same, baby." Beak mused, shrugging as he blushed, leaning in for a kiss.

He got a slap on the face, waking him up from his fantasy as the woman frowned at him. "Dinner and a movie FIRST, buddy!" She told him, heading out of the room with her friends as Bark sighed.

"Have GOT to stop fantasizing whilst fighting. Is never worth it!" Bark mumbled. "With all of these mannequin soldiers taking out so many of Central's troops, this is actually turning out much easier than I thought." He laughed as he left the room, turning to Heavy, who saluted briskly. "Let's head to the main gate, join up with our friends, eh little robot?"

"I wonder how they're doing." Heavy mused.

"AAAAA! Don't hurt me!" General Shortfuse whimpered tearfully as Tikal finished tying the ropes on him, glaring down at him with her father as she lifted him over her shoulder. "We were just doing what Void told us was best!"

"We won't hurt you just yet." Tikal told him. "But we want ANSWERS, and you're gonna give 'em."

And where WERE Shade and Knuckles? They'd made their way to Dr. Eggman's command room. As Knuckles watched his sister, she put one hand upon the chair, frowning for a few moments, a contemplative expression on her features.

"Will you be taking control of things from here?" Knuckles asked. "It must be tempting."

"...no. Just LOOK at the color of this chair. I mean, MAROON? EESH." She shook her head back and forth. "It's not my color."

"How about dark, steely grey?" Knuckles mused as he noticed the enormous passageway to the far right of the room, leading down into the depths below as several guards joined them. "Didn't you say that those chimeras were in a laboratory deep down below the base?"

"Ma'am! Ma'am!"

Shade and Knuckles turned their heads as a cheerful guard approached with a cell phone. "Good news! Heavy and Bark's platoon captured the main gate with few resistance and no casualties. All the fight's gone out of these Central pussies-no offense." The Nocturne troop added, nodding at Knuckles. "They promise not to open the Main Gates until every chimera is dead, but the West area of Central HQ, the East and the South are all under control...and you're in the North right now, so..."

"Well, then this IS good news." Shade said. "Tell them...we've won." She said, clasping her hands together and rubbing them. "This is cause for celebration. You know what, I feel like buying everyone drinks when we get out of this." She nodded at Knuckles. "And I know I've been...a bitch...to you."

"...well, sort of."

"If we're all still alive after this is over, really, I'd like to buy you a beer."

"Thanks." Knuckles said, nodding eagerly.

"We win!" Bark cheered.

"We WON!" Heavy laughed as he began to strum on his guitar. "_**Oh it's sweeeeeet, sweeeeeet, sweeeeet victoooooory, YEAH! And the world is ours to-**_"

Suddenly there was an enormous spritzy screeching noise, and everyone slammed their paws and hands over their ears, gasping as the intercom system was hacked into...a very familiar, very deliberately cold voice speaking up.

"Did SOMEBODY try to play a "Weekend at Bernie's" with my base when "Bernie" wasn't DEAD yet?" Dr. Eggman growled.

"Motherf-" Knuckles began to say.

"Ohhhhh shiiiiiiit." Shade gasped.

"No...freakin'...WAY." Bark muttered. "The "man" is still alive?"

"The man is coming in through the main gate!" Heavy yelled out, looking over the ramparts as Dr. Eggman and a large platoon of central soldiers made their way towards the main gate, marching in step. Dr. Eggman held a hand up in the air, ordering them to halt as they all saluted, several tanks rolling in behind his men as he put on his goggles, his gloved hands sparkling with energy.

"Of COURSE I'm coming in from the main gate." Dr. Eggman yelled at Heavy. "This is MY house. What other way WOULD I come in?"

"Daddy's back and he's **MAAAAAAD**." General Chewie chuckled, earning him a whack over the head from Captain Draco.


	45. Countdown, Part Five

_In trying to obtain the power to bring our mother back to life, we crossed the line._

_We took things too far, and we were brought down to Earth. _

_But now all that seems to pale in comparison to the threat that looms over our heads, for a madman is trying to sacrifice an entire nation for his own fiendish goals, and all the cards are in his hand._

_We're facing impossible odds. But I believe we can win._

_We just need to have a little faith. _

**Episode Forty-One:**

**カウントダウン、パート****5**

**Countdown, Part Five!**

"...uhhhh..." The Bio-Lizard moaned as he staggered around in an empty, black abyss. "...where am I? What just happened?...what...what's going on?"

"We're kind of in a bit of a pickle." Bean told him, lighting up the lighter in his mouth like it was a cigarette, tossing the golem a look. "I'm gonna need your help to get us out of this abyss we're all stuck in."

"All?" Bean asked.

"Mommy?" A voice through the dark called out.

"I can't see anything!"

"Help me!"

"Somebody, tell me, where am I?"

"A little help here?"

"You want out, you'll need to give me, the only metallurgist in here, access to whatever leftover Chaos Emerald power you have." Bean told the Bio Lizard, who scratched his head.

"Uh...well...OKAY!" The Bio-Lizard said, carefully reached towards his chest and, scrunching up his face in pain, opening a section around his "heart". "This should do it. What're you planning?"

"Drainin' you dry for a last-resort plan." Bean said calmly, grabbing ahold of the chaos emerald and yanking it forcibly out.

The Bio-Lizard blinked stupidly. "Wait, **what**-"

And then...

It was like he was never there.

...

...

...

..."...I can't imagine how painful that must be." NiGHTS spoke softly, putting one hand over his face as he looked away in shame and mourning, his brother screaming and howling as he vomited blood upon the floor, writing around in what he was expelling. "...I am, really, so very sorry."

"WAAAAUUUUHHHHHGGGHHH! You...YOOOU!" Void howled as he staggered to his feet, his normally pristine and ornate appearance now bloodied and scruffed up. "I'm...I'm going to...I'm..." He gasped out. "Gill...guhna-guhna gill 'oo...GILL 'OO!"

Mouth burbling out threats, he shot forward, hands held high to strangle his brother as NiGHTS sighed and folded his arms, his brother stopping on his own a moment later as what was unmistakably a gigantic fist shot out from the center of his forehead, an energy construct...powerful, purposeful...and which had now essentially "killed him".

"THAT...would be Helen and Elliot's work. Nicely done, I'd say." NiGHTS admitted, clapping his hands slightly as Void staggered around, finally falling to the ground with a squelchy THUD as the blood drizzled out of his mouth, the energy construct vanishing as he lay on his stomach, eyes unseeing.

"...brother..." NiGHTS murmured, sighing deeply.

But then...it got worse. Suddenly Void began to laugh over and over as he slowly stood up, his head turning completely around as he spread his arms out. "Nicely done, nicely done INDEED! But really, did you HONESTLY think that I wouldn't have some tricks of my own? To move forward, people need to ADAPT, wouldn't you say? And I **did** adapt. I was saving it for the others, but, well, since you're my brother, I'll give you a first-hand sneak peek."

Void's body began to pulse and bulge, his skin growing and expanding as if somebody had taken an air pump to his body and was poofing him up. NiGHTS watched in a mixture of fascination and horror as his brother's form swelled all over, and suddenly EXPLODED in a burst of flesh and membrane, NiGHTS ducking down and covering his head to protect himself.

When he rose back up to see what had happened, his brother had taken on a much more different appearance. He had almost bluish skin, pale and frightening. He appeared to be muscular and wore a hat and outfit similar to NiGHTS, only his color scheme was red and black. At the moment he was wearing a fancy, "olde-tyme masquerade ball" mask of gold upon his face that had a purple gem in the center of it, and he now wielded sharp-looking pointed nails of pinkish/red, with bright blue eyes that shone like stars through the darkness. Adjusting the gauntlets on his wrists, he grinned a toothy grin over at NiGHTS, putting one hand upon his chest.

"How do you like my new appearance?" NiGHTS's brother asked calmly. "Call me...REALA...in this form. I'm soon going to become the closest thing to reality incarnate and I'm thinking of a name that reflects that with just a hint of pompousness that really lets you know I think I'm far better than you."

"Oh believe me, it's practically SCREAMING "douche"." NiGHTS mumbled. "And nice lack of pants. Does your outfit come in hetero?"

"This from a gender-confused being whom nobody is ever sure is a guy or a girl."

"...true. Very true." NiGHTS admitted, sighing slightly. "Nobody could possibly be in more hell than me right now."

...

...

...

... "You know, there's persistence to be admired...and persistence to be annoyed with." Shade mumbled over the radio in communiqué with Dr. Eggman. "This isn't something I think you're ballsy for doing, you're becoming "Team Rocket" style persistent! And I can't BELIEVE you've got the nerve to try a head-on attack, how dumb are you?"

"As I said, this is MY house." Dr. Eggman growled. "Why would I need to come in through the back door like a thief?" He inquired, approaching the front gate of Central HQ, his backup squadron some distance behind him. And yes, they had brought TANKS.

"Firing at will!" Bark roared out, slamming his fists together as he, well, barked out orders, his men taking up firing positions with their cannons and rifles. "But not actually at Will, he is friend."

Trying not to chuckle because it would throw off their aim, they launched an enormous volley of plasma fire in the direction of Dr. Eggman as he raced towards the front gate, his gloves sizzling with energy as he snapped his fingers, two burning whips rising from his palms. He held his hands behind him, rushing towards the soldiers at the front gate, the whips trailing behind him looking like wings as he leapt through the air.

"Let's see how you like a dose of THIS!" A Nocturnus echidna trooper snapped, aiming the tank, one of several that they had at the front gate, right at Dr. Eggman. A crack like, well, a whip, and it fired off a powerful volley, apparently hitting Dr. Eggman square on.

"HOO-HAH!" The trooper cheered.

Then he gaped, seeing that the doctor had curled his whips together like a giant spring, which was now launching the cannoball squarely back at his tank. "Oh sh-"

KRUDDA-BOOOOOOM! Dr. Eggman smiled proudly. "Ahhh, I love it when I'm naaaasty." He mused. "By the way, you men directly by the door?" He asked several of the men who were positioned right in front of the front door of the frontal gate. "I had a feeling that someday somebody might try something like this so I set a TIME BOMB in that I've activated. Don't worry, it'll go off in fifty seconds. So you'd better run."

"Oh blood hell!" The soldiers shouted, rushing for their life to get past Dr. Eggman.

"One, two, skip a few, FIFTY."

BRA-BOOOOOOOOOOM!"

"Ooooooh. NAAAAASTY." Dr. Eggman sniggered as body parts fell around him, the front door now conveniently opened for him.

CHA-CHANG!

Dr. Eggman managed to block Bark's surging fist as Bark held them up, energy rising slowly off of them. "I am having OWN tricks." Bark growled to him. "Enjoy fury of my "ki" as I turn my fist into one as hard as IRON and BASH HEAD IN!"

"You're...persistent...too." Dr. Eggman grunted out, the two of them whizzing around, smacking and striking at each other with their respective gloved hands. "But you cannot do THIS." He told Bark, suddenly activating one burning whip.

It tore through the air, sizzling hot, slicing Bark's right arm off clear at the upper area as Bark let out a horrified gasp, Dr. Eggman's large and long foot striking the caught-off-guard polar bear squarely in the face, knocking him to the side as Heavy stood there, shaking like a leaf as Dr. Eggman tilted his head to the side, looking the robot over.

"What do you think you are doing, 2nd Lieutenant Heavy?" Eggman asked calmly, folding his arms and tapping one foot as he gazed at the robot. "Emergency Code Alpha-Protocol 66."

"...sorry, sir." Heavy said coldly. "But that program was overwritten by Colonel Shadow with Program A113. I am NOT going to let you pass."

"Yes, you ARE. Because if you do NOT..." Dr. Eggman thrust his gloved hands down, electrical energy sparkling around them. "I'm going to electrocute you."

Heavy nervously stuttered. "I...I...Ih...ih...in..."

"...what?"

_**"...in...a...world that keeps on draggin' me down, gonna...staaand my ground...and I WON'T...BACK...DOWN!" **_Heavy managed to sing out in a slightly high-pitched, squealing tone as he held up his rifle and aimed it at Dr. Eggman.

"You duplicitous little...you picked the wrong side, you walking trash can." Dr. Eggman growled.

"Don't sound so frightened. Is no time for tears." Bark's voice groaned out as he rose back to his feet, waving back and forth on the balls of his boots as he bared his fangs. "We are still fighting!"

"How utterly sad. Is this supposed to be some sort of "heroic last stand" in which you take me out with you?" Dr. Eggman snapped coldly. "What are you, DENSE? Are you **retarded** or something? Who do you think I am? **I'm the goddamn EGGMAN**."

"Hey, that kind of showing off is MY territory, "**Cruelty**"!" A familiar voice called out. "But hey, don't knock last minute heroics. I mean, they really get people inspired. And when guys like me get inspired..."

THRU-THROCKA!

A blur knocked Dr. Eggman back through the air as King/White lowered his fist, hair turning white as he grinned darkly, pink eyes a-glitter. "People like you DIE."

"You shouldn't have stayed here. You should have escaped whilst you had the chance." Dr. Eggman muttered. "Then you might have LIVED."

"Aw, but then I wouldn't get the satisfaction of knowing I handed your ass to you on a silver platter. And you know, I think it kind of satisfying that this partner I'm with gets to be the one that kills you, considering all you did to the ones that King loves. Quick question though...why are you NOT dead from that car bomb?" King/White asked with a smirk on his scaly face.

"Yeah, how DID you get outta that?" Heavy muttered. "I mean, I worked on it myself!"

"Shoddy craftsmanship." Dr. Eggman said, making Heavy groan and fall down in shame. "Well, that and the fact that I jumped free before the thing could explode. You should have rigged the timer better. I would have gotten here sooner, but age...ugh." He rubbed the back of his neck, doing some stretches. "My body is NOT what it used to be."

"Well, that's a shame. Because believe me, what I intend to do to you "little bro" is going to be much...much...worse." King/White laughed, leaping forward.

With a mighty CLA-CLANG, his powerful clawed hand, now "painted black" from partially activating his super form, struck against Dr. Eggman's gloves over and over, rapid punches and kicks as King/White spun around, striking at the Golem and laughing over and over as Dr. Eggman was forced away from the other soldiers, who wisely moved out of the way.

Indeed, they swerved back and forth, King/White striking like a cobra, aiming at Dr. Eggman's face, his shoulders, his chest, his stomach but, considerably, not giving any low strikes out of a sense of consideration.

"Let us see you dodge THESE." Dr. Eggman growled as he launched his burning whips in King/White's direction. The serpent anthro had to leap away on one hand, spinning through the air as Dr. Eggman lashed out at him over and over, the fight now becoming very much a dodging game.

"We need to back him up!" Several soldiers realized, aiming their guns at Dr. Eggman as King/White gasped in horror, the "good doctor" turning around and glaring as they fired in his direction.

"You idiots, NO!"

Too late. Dr. Eggman had leapt through the air and shot his arms out, the whips tearing into their chests, burning a hole straight through. Dr. Eggman yanked the whips out of their bodies and the soldiers fell to the ground in cauterized halves, Bark's eyes alit with furius rage.

"YOU SON OF A BIIIITCH!" He roared out, bellowing like the bear he was as he leapt through the air, fist about to be brought down on Dr. Eggman's big egg head.

Unfortunately...it didn't work.

Because unfortunately...Dr. Eggman was too quick. A good strike to the abs seemed to send him to the ground...

Until Dr. Eggman realized that Bark was grinning, standing back up...pulling a patch of fur away to show-

"Is that...TITANIUM!" Dr. Eggman asked, looking at the large patch of metal on the polar bear's skin.

"Got it in '95. Enemy gunfire struck hard. I can see dead bodies of comrades that littered streets as my country...burned! To ground!" Bark said tearfully.

"Get every unarmed trooper we've got here a gun. A very, big...gun." One captain ordered to a lieutenant as the platoon Dr. Eggman had brought with him readied themselves, the captain slamming his fist into his palm. "We're takin' back the main gate. But don't anybody get near our beloved autocrat's fight."

"Oh great, they're mobilizing! Get one of the tanks to fire!" Heavy yelled out.

"The tanks are ON FIRE, sir." One of the remaining soldiers sighed, covering his face with one hand and shaking his head back and forth as several soldiers crawled out of the burning tanks, Heavy gulping.

It was then that the unmistakable of a whistling rocket pierced the air and the soldiers who were attempting to rush up to the Central Gate were surprised by the sudden blaring flash of light that, moments later, sent them flying with a shockwave blast.

"Do you hear...the Steel Samurai's theme?" Heavy asked Bark as the polar bear tilted his head to the side, the two of them straining, holding up their hands to their "ears", though Heavy had none.

Yes, yes, they could hear it very well!

**BGM: The "Steel Samurai" Theme, from Phoenix Wright**

There he stood atop a nearby street light, one hand held in front of his chest as he suddenly shot through the air towards 's troops, leaping through the air and striking with several katana blades, the swish-swash of the blade mixed with the streaming of blood as, at last, he spun up through the air to land before them.

There he stood...Dave, the father of Elise, sheathing his katana momentarily to bow before the two. "I have returned to Central and am here to lend my services towards defeating 's forces." He told them.

"Well, we are having you doing one better... himself is there." Bark said, pointing at Dr. Eggman as he and King/White stopped to look over in Dave's direction as the Soleanna citizen quickly pulled out his katana, spinning them around rapidly in a circle as he held them in a fighting position, glaring balefully at Dr. Eggman.

"You...YOU. The one who got my daughter hurt." He growled coldly. "Who endangered the prince's life."

His face became feral as he shook with fury, face paking before their eyes. "YOU! WILL! **DIE!**"

...

...

...

... "Ma'am! Little miss!"

Cream and Vanilla turned their heads as Wave held up a phone, the others in the news station listening intently. "Your husband has been spotted at Central HQ! He's alive and well!"

"He's...he's alive?" Vanilla whispered, eyes widening. "Oh, thank GOD!" She sobbed.

"Is Cheese with him?" Cream wanted to know nervously.

"I'm afraid nobody has seen him" Wave admitted quietly, shaking her head back and forth.

"Do you think we should tell them now?" Ray the Flying Squirrel whispered to Wave as Cream and Vanilla comforted each other, Ms. Corik quickly relaying this new news to the rest of the world.

"I'm not sure." She admitted as Bomb took the phone, listening intently for any more news. "Let's stand guard outside just in case Central Soldiers decide to take the station now that Dr. Eggman's come here."

She and Ray headed out of the doorway, moving down the stairs as Ray flung his hands up. "I gotta admit, he's a tough old jerk."

"I suppose Golems do not die easily." Wave admitted. "Poor Vanilla, poor Cream...what are we supposed to tell them?"

"Hey!"

Wave blinked a few times as she noticed some soldiers had someone tied up by the front door, a bag over his head. "What is it?" She asked her comrades. The person had that bag over his head, but he looked vaguely...familiar.

"We didn't want to let him in until we got your okay, but he said he wanted to join us." One of the soldiers informed Wave, gesturing at the prisoner. "It's a hawk sapient."

"...take the bag off his head and untie him NOW." Wave ordered immediately.

Jet the Hawk felt the ropes come away as the bag was removed from atop his head, and he stared up into the warm eyes of Wave, tears brimming in his own as he slowly rose back to his feet, arms stretching out as he warmly embraced her. "Don't you EVER leave me again." He whispered out. "Wave, don't EVER leave me again."

Meanwhile, not so very far away, somebody else was having something of a tearful reunion. Only General Shortfuse's tears were coming from the fact that Captain Draco was stepping down on his tail every time the general tried to do something remotely close to escaping or said an insult towards the furiously-glaring Shade, Tikal, Knuckles and Pachacamac. They and several dozen soldiers, captains, lieutenants, corporals and other officers were all standing around, intent on hearing what the general had to say for himself.

"Well? What do you have to say for yourself?" Tikal said firmly, putting her hands on her hips.

"...er...uh..."

"Dr. Eggman KNOWS all of this?" Knuckles asked. "You created him solely for the purpose of...of THAT?"

"Yes." General Shortfuse murmured.

"And you did this WHY?" Knuckles growled, slamming his fist into his palm, showing off his sharp teeth.

"This world is DECAYING!" General Shortfuse protested, slamming his fists onto the ground. "IT MUST BE BORN **ANEEEEEEW**!" He roared, holding his fists in the air and shaking them wildly. "

"Oh my GOD, he could not BE any more of a stereotypical anime villain." Shade mumbled.

"What's WRONG with the world that's really so awful!" Tikal snapped. "Cuz the way I see it, the world was just FINE until people like you decided something was wrong with it and the best way to change it meant **people had to die**."

"Slavery still exists in the form of human trafficking!" Shortfuse insisted.

"Law enforcement officials break up rings like that and crack down on drug cartels with HIGH EXPLOSIVES." Pachacamac spoke calmly.

"Terrorists plot to kill innocent people!"

"The CIA sends terrorists to prison to eat cock-meat sandwiches every day."

"Murderers and rapists can get off the hook on a tiny lapse in legal procedure!"

"Innocent men can be freed from an unfair trial due to that same kind of lapse."

"People and suffer and die every day! Starvation! Disease! Acts of evil unimaginable haunt the nightmares that inhabit the daily realities of people all over the world!"

"Doctors, firemen, police officers, even the clergy and teachers, all of them save lives on a daily basis. Compassion, day-to-day decency and acts of good fill the world. Buddy, I don't know how many Fox News specials you watched nonstop, but the real world is not blood, devastation, war and horror. You just choose to see it that way because you're so weak you can't lift your head any higher." Knuckles told him. "And you chose to drag all of Mobius down with you as you crawl under a rock with all the rest of the slimy things."

"All magic comes with a price! And the price for utopia and perfection of the masses is always going to be high!" General Shortfuse insisted. **"And WE, the Chosen of Mobius-"**

Draco promptly beaned him over the head, knocking him out as he turned to the others, grateful that Tikal had set up a video camera to record all of this. "Okay, why do people like HIM think they get to decide what the price is without asking anyone else?"

There was silence as the other Central troops looked around at each other, nervously murmuring. "What will you do?" Shade asked them.

"...I've got two kids in town." One of the other captains mumbled.

"I've got a girl waitin' for me back in Knothole."

"I grew UP in Central City, I've always wanted to protect these people."

"Then I think we have our answer, don't we?" Captain Draco asked. "We quit."

"Hellz YEAH we quit." One of the lieutenants said, kicking the unconscious General Shortfuse.

"We need to get out of here. General Eggman's forces are coming in from all over and we need to find a new place to regroup." Shade told the others. "...how about that tunnelway that goes down, down below?"

"Yo-ho, me lad." Tikal mused quietly. "I dunno, I've read every single "Lord of the Rings", going down into the dark never ends well."

...

...

...

...well. As it were, Tikal had no idea how right she was. There, sitting calmly in a chair and sipping from a gold goblet was a white-furred echidna with glasses atop his nose and a small smirk upon his face. He held the goblet in his gloved hands, smiling at Sonic, Rouge, Omega and the chao.

"I didn't expect an audience down here...at least, not so soon. Ah well. Not that I MIND, you understand. Let's get the show on the road."

"Who the heck are YOU, pal?" Sonic asked, pointing at the echidna.

"I'm not your "pal", friend."

"I'm not your FRIEND, buddy!"

"I'm not your BUDDY, guy."

"I'm not your GUY, pal!"

"No, but HE is." The echidna doctor mused, pointing at Shadow. "I've been HOPING you'd show yourself. I've been bored for a long time. Haven't had much to do since I created Dr. Eggman...among others."

"...you." Shadow gasped, eyes widening. The one from Dr. Eggman's tale!

_"My grandfather, Gerald...he's the only family I ever had besides Sniveley. I don't remember the names of my parents, or their faces." Dr. Eggman said, holding his hands behind his back, looking out the window of his office, memory clouding his eyes. "I don't even remember if they're the ones who gave me my OWN name. But I remember...the white room. Yes, and I was not the only baby there. There were dozens of us._

_If I was abandoned, or sold, I don't remember. But I also remember that question... "Who will be the one to take charge of this country", that's what that white-haired echidna asked of us. And his eyes...so dark..."_

_Dr. Eggman frowned slightly, then went on. "We were "prospective", apparently. All of us, they said, had the potential to one day be the leader of Mobius. We were all educated, trained in the arts and sciences...our bodies honed in the ways of war. Marksmanship...swordsmanship...and I excelled in battle."_

_The clanging of rapiers as a young, red-haired human slashed and sliced against a blond-haired one. It was a dance...in and out, back and forth. Partners, that's what they were. Partners in a dance macabre, each move had to be perfectly in sync or-_

_SCHA-SCHLUCK!_

_"AAUUGH!" The blond-haired human fell to the ground, gasping in pain as other prospective shrunk back in fear, the red-haired human nervously dropping the sword to the ground, taking a step back..._

_A white-haired echidna patted him on the shoulder, a glint behind his glasses, his metallic gloves feeling cool against the red-haired soldier's shoulder. "Don't worry. He was just a pawn, there to help you reach your goal." He spoke soothingly. _

_"I believed with all my heart that I would be the one to rule this country. So I endured all the hardships that were flung my way. And...unfortunately...I learned the hard way that before I could change...I had ONE more hardship to endure..."_

_He was tied down to a table, and found himself nervously sweating. "Er...what is this?" He asked, looking at the straps that held him down._

_"Just make yourself comfortable." The echidna doctor insisted. "It'll all be over soon."_

_He turned his head. He saw the many bodies piled up within the room next door. Their guts spilled out from their mouths onto their chests, their eyes wide, never to close, some were still twitching-_

_He remembered a scream forming in his mouth. "What are you people doing? Those bodies!"_

_"You're number 12." A voice spoke up._

_He turned to see a figure floating nearby...an unusual being..._

_"Will you be the one who accepts it? Who will take on my "Cruelty"?"_

_A liquid was stuck into his bloodstream, sparkling like a icy blue crystal..._

_"A chaos emerald contains an inordinate amount of energy, and is composed of the souls of many people. If placed within a human body or a "sapient" or "robotic" form, it can be met with rejection as it tries to take over. But luckily, my body did not die. I survived... I became the autocrat of this empire."_

"So you're one of Void's flunkies. I think we should THANK you for your many years of service to the country. Allow me to give you a severance package that's to DIE FOR." Shadow growled, holding up one gloved fist.

"Oh dear. I should have KNOWN this was going to happen." The echidna doctor mused, rubbing his chin as he tossed the goblet away, snapping his fingers as beings suddenly descended from holes in the ceiling like wasps from a hive, racing towards our heroes, gloves on all of their hands that were bristling with powerful energy.

"These things are no chimeras!" Omega growled out, beating some away as Sonic spun back through the air, dodging a strike from one of the beings as Rouge struck one squarely in the head with a knife.

"They're all sapients, just...really WEIRD." She told them, the sapient she'd downed hitting the ground, it's pure-white eyes staring sightlessly at the ceiling, muttering incoherently as it lashed in death throes.

"They're all the beings that failed to become Dr. Eggman, you could say. Once we actually HAD a good doctor on our side, we didn't need to use these things anymore." The echidna doctor said, shrugging calmly. "Nothing but **spares**. And whilst they might not be as strong as Dr. Eggman with those gloves of theirs, they're been training for around 60 years to be the best."

"Simply SPARES? You stinkin' little..." Shadow growled.

"But I think it is time to initiate the next stage of the plan, since YOU'RE here, after all." The echidna doctor said, holding up his ringed hands and smirking. "Tell me...do you know how many secret laboratories Dr. Eggman approved of? Because technically the laboratory that our master Void has in his "home" is one as well. All of them center around two elements respectively."

"...wait. Hold on. There's only five, counting Void's-no." Sonic's eyes widened. "Wait...the place we first broke into, the condemned one, was one as well...that's SIX...six times two...the twelve elements of Magic..."

"Ugggghhh..." Shiki murmured as he shivered, holding onto his chest. "Do you FEEL that?" He asked Big.

"I...I think I DO." Big murmured.

"I feel all slimy inside." Nack mumbled as he shivered as well, the cries of barking dogs and screeching birds echoing through the city as several humans standing around began shivering as well.

"It feels like something just puked on my SOUL."

"What's this feeling? Shade wondered as her group stopped in place, Tikal shivering slightly.

"I'm not sure...it's some kind of powerful magic, my spirit can tell THAT, but I'm not sure what-"

And then something off happened. Something very, very off. Everywhere around Tails and Tikal and Sonic turned the color of bloody, rusted metal as a loud siren rippled through the air. Tails gasped in horror as he let out a cry. "Oh, not AGAIN!" He yelled.

"Oh NO." Tikal murmured.

"Oh HOOOOLY **SHIT**!" Sonic screamed as he began to dissolve away, the bloody rust beginning to spread across his hands. Soon he, Tails and Tikal were beginning to be covered in the dark, bloody, rusted metal gunk that was filling the places they were in, and they screamed and screamed and-

"...he's...gone." Shadow murmured, looking at the spot where Sonic was, the others gazing in surprise at the sight.

"...Sonic?" Rouge murmured.

Elsewhere, King/White and Dave were striking forth at Dr. Eggman, Dave having brought a scimitar with him.

"You know what I like!" King's voice said cheerily as he and Dave spun around Dr. Eggman, slashing and slicing with their weapons, Dr. Eggman blocking their strikes as best he could with his gloves as energy surged off of them, the other soldiers trying to get Bark to stand back up: he'd collapsed to the ground from his injuries.

"I believe that the good doctor just needs some GOOD VIBRATIONS." Dave grinned, leaping back through the air, King/White joining him as the Soleanna citizen tossed a bomb through the air, a sonic shockwave almost blasting the autocrat away. Sadly, the golem was faster than that, leaping up through the air and activating his whips again.

Once more it became a deadly dance, but even with two on one, it was still an effort as King/White and Dave dodged the whips as best they could, searching for an opening. Unfortunately that was when Dr. Eggman got a nasty idea.

"Do you know why you're weak? You are VULNERABLE." Dr. Eggman said coldly in King/White's direction as he KICKED him away, focusing the whips in Dave's direction, striking out. Dave tried to duck back, but he was struck hard across the chest and let out a pained scream, his ribcage now exposed as he hit the ground, gasping in pain as Dr. Eggman was knocked away by a high kick, King/White rushing to Dave's side and helping him up.

"You're gonna be okay. I won't let you die. I WILL NOT." King insisted.

"Again with the whole "save your comrades nonsense". You don't have TIME to care about everyone."

"A true ruler has to MAKE time!" King snapped.

"A true ruler is a moral as a **HURRICANE**, you IMBECILE!" Dr. Eggman roared.

Dave suddenly PUNCHED King in the gut, knocking him down as he smiled. "You've always been so concerned for my health, I know you wouldn't have let me done this. Come, Dr Eggman. LET'S DIE TOGETHER!" He roared out, ripping the rest of his shirt off and exposing...bombs. He'd rigged bombs up to his waist and with a quick twist of a lever attached to the belt they were on, the tops popped off, ticking and hissing as Dave rushed forward and-

SWA-SWASH!

Dr. Eggman lowered one hand as Dave looked down at the whip that was now attached to the bomb belt, an electrical charge suddenly shooting through and disabling them as he stupidly gaped.

"What, like I had to be limited to just FIRE?" Dr. Eggman asked. "And now you're going to DIE!" He growled, striking Dave across the neck with his other whip, the old man gurgling as he felt the blood rise in his throat.

"I'm sorry, my beloved prince. When you needed me most..." Dave whispered as Elise climbed up the wall of the city gate, looking down upon the scene before her, eyes widening in horror.

"Do not beating self up. We still have one trick left!" Bark's voice laughed.

SCHLUCKA-THUCK!

Striking through Dave to reach Dr. Eggman, Bark's final act of heroism was rewarded with the unmistakable wet meat sound of a sword slicing deep into the stomach of one Golem, Dr. Eggman's horrified and pained gasp like music to Dave and Bark's ears as the good doctor staggered back.

"We'll send him to Hell together, old man." Bark whispered out as he and Dave collapsed backwards, Elise screaming, King's mouth falling open at the sight before him.

"..._no_."


	46. Countdown, Part Six

_In trying to obtain the power to bring our mother back to life, we crossed the line._

_We took things too far, and we were brought down to Earth. _

_But now all that seems to pale in comparison to the threat that looms over our heads, for a madman is trying to sacrifice an entire nation for his own fiendish goals, and all the cards are in his hand._

_We're facing impossible odds. But I believe we can win._

_We just need to have a little faith. _

**Episode Forty-One:**

**カウントダウン、パート****6**

**Countdown, Part Six!**

King's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates, mouth hanging open in a gasp of undeniable horror and denial as Dr. Eggman clutched his wounded gut, with Bark the Polar Bear falling to the ground, dying slowly along with Dave...

With DAVE. HIS Dave. His dear, sweet, beloved "uncle".

"No...NO...NOOOOO!" King's voice howled, totally taking control as he launched himself through the air like a mongoose, striking out at Dr. Eggman, a harsh fist striking the side of his head so hard it smashed his ear into a pulpy mess before the "good doctor" could reel back in time. "I'LL KILL YOU!" King screamed out, blood blotching up the doctor's right eye, forcing him to pull his goggles down. "I'LL KILL YOU FOR WHAT YOU'VE DONE, YOU **GODDAMN** MURDERER!"

"FATHER!" Elise screamed as she leapt down to her father's side, trying to look through her things to find something to stop the bleeding even as the unmistakable slimy feeling of something trying to slither across her soul rose up from her body. Something twisted was going on around them all, something that now EVERYONE in Mobius seemed to feel at once the same way King, Marine and Elise had felt before...

But all Elise really felt...all King really felt...was a blurry watercolor blend of horror, rage and grief. Boundless in form, a dark pit from which nothing could escape. It was Hell for them right now, the image of their dearly beloved dying. And if he was going to die, then...

"I will take you WITH him!" King snarled, claws digging into Eggman's neck as he got the doctor into a hold, tail forcing the doctor's legs together as he raised his other fist up to deliver a head-squelching punch that would turn the golem's head to eggy remains on the floor-

Unfortunately, the good doctor had seen this coming. He promptly fell backwards deliberately, forcing King to shift his weight, and Eggman spun rapidly, kicking King back and launching himself forward, delivering a series of sharp and potent blows to the snake's stomach, the two of them being forced towards the high edge of the main gate, far above the moat that Dr. Eggman had just HAD to install for reasons of "feng shui" and "dramatic purposes".

What is it with evil geniuses and things like moats, spiky pits and shark tanks? I will never know. But take comfort, true believers. King managed to spit in Dr. Eggman's face...or rather, on his goggles, temporarily blinding him and giving the snake sapient a chance to reposition himself moments before they both tumbled over into the moat.

CLOMP. Now King was hanging from the ramparts, trying not to fall as Dr. Eggman clutched his arm, glaring up at him through the goggles.

"If I go down...I'LL TAKE YOU WITH ME." Dr. Eggman mused coldly, his voice like fresh ice as King gasped and hissed in pain.

"Damn...you...lose...some...weight..." King managed to get out before they toppled down into-

"You're forgetting he has something you don't...FRIENDS!" Elise yelled defiantly as she dove through the air, grabbing King's flailing arm and pulling him back up as Dr. Eggman dropped down into the moat, vanishing into the waters as King and Elise rushed to Dave's side.

"Come on, come on..." King whispered, tugging on his hair as tears began to brim in his eyes. "There has to be something that...wait. WAIT. I'VE GOT A CHAOS EMERALD RIGHT HERE!" He yelled out, pointing at his chest, looking around at everyone assembled as Heavy hung his head, covering his face with a single arm, Bark panting quietly as his men tried in vain to stop the bleeding, Elise holding her father's head in her lap. "Use it! Come on!"

Nobody said anything. They simply looked from him to the dying men in the center of the main gate, quietly keeping their eyes down.

"...sir...please, PLEASE, you have to help." King whimpered out towards Heavy. "This is the capital of magic, of Metallurgy, nobody here can...nobody..."

"...I'm so sorry." Heavy whispered, shaking his head. "I am so, so sorry."

King fell to his knees, fists tightening as the tears flowed freely. "I should have bothered to study-I...I should have done SOMETHING...always putting it off, always putting it off and now...I was going to make everyone immortal...I was going to have the power to save everyone...I can't even...I..."

Why, he asked himself. Why had he not researched Metallurgy? Tried to practice magic instead of reading of it? Skill with a scimitar meant nothing, knowing where to strike on the body meant nothing, knowing the dozens of laws and customs of Soleanna all paled in comparison to the knowledge of how to save a life.

This was his fault. This was all his fault.

"...King..." Dave managed to whisper out as King whipped his head around, eyes widening as he raced to Dave's side, taking his hand. "I...I need to tell you..."

"Don't speak." King begged tearfully. "You'll hurt yourself..."

"King...you need to know this, I...I'm not...not angry with you. Elise...don't cry, please, don't you ever cry..." Dave whispered over to her, as he took her hand and gently squeezed it, his eyes beginning to cloud over. "I want to see you smiling...don't cry for me...cry for joy...I know you'll do me proud."

"...f-father...father, p-please don't leave me now." Elise whispered out.

"King...know this...I...I never thought of you as being LIKE a son." Dave told the serpent sapient as he let out a pained smile. "...you WERE...a son..._to me_..."

And with that, Dave breathed his last, King sitting on his knees, gazing tearfully down at the now-turning-cold body of his beloved. He sniffled slightly as Elise clutched her father, turning to Bark, who gave him a sad smile.

"I can't help you either...after you tried to make sure Dave did not die in vain...I can't even thank you the right way." King murmured to him.

"If...you really want to...pay me back...then-then do this f-for me." Bark stuttered out. "Shade's orders...hold position. Help with that. Is...is all am asking. You...are only one who can do this. Only one."

King slowly rose up, holding his head in his hand for a moment before finally speaking up.

"...White. I have a duty to fulfill. And to do it...I need power. I WANT power. Give it to me **now**."

And with that, he strode forward, the change covering his body as the Central Forces gazed on in horror and awe at the being before them. Perfectly black, eyes a brilliant pink and white hair glittering, all his clothes had been tossed aside save for his pants to reveal a well-built form, smooth and powerful with wicked claws that were eager to tear and crush. It opened a large-fanged maw, and a roaring, decimatingly loud voice snarled out, filled with a desire for vengeance.

"**ANYBODY WHO DOESN'T WANNA DIE HAD BETTER GET THE FLYING ****FUCK**** OUT OF HERE!"** White/King's fully transformed visage roared out as he slammed his fists into the ground, uprooting a tank and tossing it to the side as people scrambled for their lives. "And women! I don't like hitting women **either**."

"Thank Heavens he's on OUR side." One of the Nocturne soldiers mumbled.

"Heh. Can be dying in peace now." Bark mumbled out. "...farewell, comrades." He told them, clutching Heavy's hand and squeezing it slightly. "...tell...Shade...tell her I...I held no fear. I am not scared...will...will see you at...at a place even higher...than Nocturne's peaks..."

And with that, his arm fell limp to the ground, Bark of Nocturne breathing his last as Heavy hung his head low.

_**"You soul soars over our small hill, I pray you spiral higher still...as if from such an altitude, you might just keep us all in view..."**_ He murmured.

...

...

...

... "What in the billy shears just happened?" Shade yelled out to her soldiers as one of them spoke on his phone to one of the other Nocturne troopers at the main gate. "Where did she go?"

"I remember." Knuckles murmured. "I remember when I heard about the tale of young Sonic and his brother trying to bring back their beloved mother...it was such a horrifying tale, and to be put through it at such a young age..."

"They told us the tale too." Shade admitted. "They said that bloody rust appeared all...wait...you don't think..."

"That someone tried to do life magic and it somehow pulled them through the "Other Side"? It's...POSSIBLE, I guess." Knuckles admitted. "Ugh." He rubbed his head. "Trying to think this fully through is making my brain hurt, even if they WERE pulled through, HOW? And where are they now?"

"...ma'am?" The soldier who'd been on the phone spoke up, turning his cell phone off as he nervously chewed his lip. "We have some news. Good news and bad news about the Main Gate."

"...give me the good news first." Shade said. "I always like eating my dessert first."

"Dr. Eggman was dealt a critical blow and fell off into the moat."

"No WAY!" General Shortfuse snapped angrily. "No! That's not possible, there's no way he would go down so easily!"

"SHUT UP!" Knuckles snapped, punching him in the gut and silencing him again.

"And the golem called "**Selfishness**" is aiding our troops in fighting off of Central's forces."

"Oh, _c'mooooonnnn_..." Shortfuse sobbed quietly as Knuckles kicked him in the gut, this time actually knocking him out.

"...and the bad news?" Shade asked softly.

"...Bark didn't make it. He died alongside Mr. Dave from Soleanna as the two inflicted that blow upon . Mr. Heavy said that Bark wanted to tell you that "He wasn't afraid" and that he'd see us "At a higher place than Nocturne's peaks"."

Shade was quiet for a few moments."...good man." She murmured softly, nodding her head. "...good man. He really...really did me proud."

Meanwhile, not very far away...

"Balls off the walls, man, what the heck was THAT?" Sonic gasped out as he slowly got to his feet, seeing his teacher slumped to the floor, muttering as she tried to get up. "Teach! Woah, are you alright?" He asked her, helping her to her feet.

"By Jesus's BEARD, what the heck was THAT?" Tikal wanted to know.

FLOMP.

It was then that Tails's doll form plopped down onto them all as they blinked at each other stupidly before putting Tails to the ground below, Sonic looking his brother over. "Well at least we're all...wait...something isn't right..." Sonic mumbled, seeing the doll's eyes closed. He opened them up...

They were so glassy, so...lacking in life. He appeared to be utterly inert, nothing more than the form he'd been trapped in...a doll.

"One...two...three...four..." A slightly familiar voice rang out as the two turned their heads to see...

"...what...the?"

NiGHTS had been trapped in a golden cage made of ornate designs and was sitting in it with a clearly mopey expression, grumbling how annoyed he was at being caught off guard so easily by his brother. They were now facing another jester-like figure who looked like Pennywise the Clown's muscular but gay brother, the one the family didn't like to talk about who had run off to join the circus after his hairclipping venture failed.

"...that is a very disturbing outfit." Sonic muttered. "...is that really YOU, Void?"

"I'm Reala now." Reala said, putting his pointed-nailed hand on his chest. "I have evol-no, ADAPTED would be the better term. Evolution takes years and is something of a more dramatic change than this."

"Like what, turning into a giant one-winged-"

"Don't give him IDEAS!" NiGHTS yelled out from the cage. "Cuz believe me, he'll try them all!"

"This is so very surreal." Tikal mumbled, scratching her head as she looked around Void's...sorry, REALA'S laboratory.

"I TRIED to take all of the souls within NiGHTS, but there was something of a feedback. Apparently me taking on a form like this means the two of us "clash" on a spiritual level even more so than before. So I settled for keeping him under lock and key...well, lock, anyhow." Reala mused, shrugging slightly. "But it's so good to see you again..."

He grinned wildly, eyes sparkling, alit with cold fire. "My precious resources..."

...

...

...

...Elsewhere, the echidna doctor was watching his armed minions trying to take on the others, a look of clear disappointment on his face as he checked his watch again. "They're taking so damn long. I kept telling them "We need 5, we need 5", and they are ALWAYS "Patience, Dr. Finitevus, PATIENCE"."

"Well patience **is** a virtue, mate!" Marine wisecracked, kicking one of the would-be Dr. Eggman's back, snapping his head cleanly.

"This is what happens when you use chintzy little promises like "eternal life" as a way to get people to do your dirty work." Dr. Finitevus mumbled as Rouge slashed away at another sapient.

"Come on, is this the best you've got? That don't impress me much." Rouge laughed, leaping through the air, foot held high and-

Getting caught by the sapient who slammed her to the floor in a harsh hold. Shadow whipped his head towards her, eyes widening. "Lieutenant! Don't you dare-" He roared out, holding out a glowing hand at the sapient.

SCHRA-SKRAK!

Shadow's hand rings were cut right through as two sapients held HIM down, the others holding Marine at swordpoint, forcing Omega to stop as Rouge was lifted up in the air, a claw held to her neck from a bear sapient.

"So..." Dr. Finitevus mused, clapping his hands together and eagerly rubbing them. "What to do now? You know, you saved me quite a lot of time coming here. Now do me a favor my boy and try to perform life magic. I don't really care who you'll try and bring back, mind you. But I DO have a recommendation. Why not that nice friend of yours, Mighty?"

Shadow gave him a baleful glare and snarled at him. "Eat spit and DIE." He snapped, only he didn't actually say "spit".

"Don't be stupid. We found out that it's not possible for un-chosen to attempt life magic, it would be utterly ridiculous you dreadlocked dummy." Rouge informed the doctor.

"Truuuue." Dr. Finitevus admitted, waving a gloved finger in the air. "HOWEVER, all you need to do is try anyhow and come back alive."

"What part of "I'm not going to do it" do you fail to understand, Dr. Finitevus? Are you deaf as well as being albino?" Shadow asked him.

"Does this LOOK like it's up for negotiation?" Dr. Finitevus said with a chuckle, snapping his fingers in the air as the bear sapient holding it's claws to Rouge's neck dug them in to her jugular.

"ROUGE!" Shadow screamed out as she fell to her knees, Dr. Finitevus smiling coldly.

"Perform...the spell..." He whispered coldly.

"YOU BASTAAAAAAAARD!" Shadow roared out.

"Looks like he's decided then to do the spell." Dr. Finitevus told the others, rubbing his gloved hands together. "Really, it's your own fault for being so stubborn. But you knooooow...I can use metallurgy...and I've got a chaos emerald right HERE." He said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out the unmistakable brightly-glittering sight of a chaos emerald.

"HE'S not the one slicing women's throats open you DISGUSTING OLD MAN!" Marine snarled.

"Don't...don't do it." Rouge mumbled out, making everyone shut up in surprise as they looked I her direction. "Don't you dare do it. I've...I've been ordered not to die...so I won't die." She told Shadow. "Do you understand me?" She gasped out, looking right into his eyes as he gazed back at her.

"...I understand." Shadow spoke quietly. "Dr. Finitevus...I am NOT going to perform your life magic. I won't jump through any hoop you put in front of me."

"You're really just going to abandon her to a horrible death?" The white-furred echidna commented, tilting his head to the side and rubbing his chin.

"Don't you DARE talk about "abandoning" people after you used these poor people." Shadow snapped.

"You're a great big sodding GIT, using people up and tossing them away like freakin' TOILET PAPER!" Marine agreed. "Hypocrite!"

"You want to talk "using people"? Their parents SOLD them to the government. We gave them a first-class education. Fed them. Put clothes on their backs. Gave them a PURPOSE. They should be grateful to me, their "father"." Dr. Finitevus said, waving a dismissive hand in the air.

"Oh, REALLY?" A familiar voice rang out.

THWIP! Leigh's long trunk shot down from an enormous vent shaft above as it was blown open, strangling the doctor and lifting him high as Leigh glared hatefully at him, Johnny and Ewan jumping out and quickly taking down the other sapients as Omega rushed to knock away the ones guarding Marine, Shadow diving across the room and grabbing ahold of the chaos emerald that the doctor had held.

"Parents GIVE their children bodies." Johnny told the doctor.

"And people like you ROBBED us of ours!" Ewan snarled.

"Personally, we can't stand your type." Leigh admitted. "I'd break your neck right now if I wasn't trying to be a better man than you."

"The chaos emerald...so close...so..." Marine murmured as Shadow put it to the side, kneeling by the bleeding Rouge. "...aw, HELL with it, this comes first!" She decided, rushing over to Rouge, pulling out a slip of paper that already had bloody writing upon it and slamming it onto Rouge's neck.

A shimmering, gentle light washed over Rouge as Marine stepped back, Shadow blinking in surprise. "Yakin Shīru?"

"Absolutely, mate!" Marine said, saluting proudly.

"Thank you...thank you." Shadow whispered as he clung to Rouge tightly, nuzzling her head with his own. "I'm so sorry this happened." He told her gently. How could he have let her get hurt like this at all?

"It's alright...I'll be fine." Rouge told him gently. The big softy, she thought to herself as she patted him. Always so worried over his right hand wo-man...

"Now let's get that Chaos Emerald." Marine decided, putting her fist forcefully into her palm.

"You mean THIS chaos emerald?" Dr. Eggman asked, stepping into the light as the others blinked in surprise.

"I keep forgetting how freakin' FAST he is." Rouge muttered out.

"Your wounds aren't...regenerating..." Shadow realized. "...interesting."

"I was watching in secret from down the hall. I admit...I would have thought that, if it was to save one you truly loved, you wouldn't have hesitated to use a chaos emerald." Dr. Eggman said quietly. "...why didn't you?"

"For one, if I had, Rouge would have beaten me to death." Shadow admitted.

"True, I would have." Rouge laughed.

"I might have done it at one point in my life, but...over these past months, I've come to realize who my friends truly are." Shadow told the "good doctor", shaking his head back and forth. "They can point me in the right direction, and that's what I REALLY need."

"...hmm. The would-be future leader of the country is a sappy softy underneath it all." Dr. Eggman said, chuckling good-naturedly. "I might need to reconsider my "what a true leader is" spiel..."

THA-THWOMP!

Dr. Finitevus was tossed to the ground along with the chao as Omachao descended from the vent shaft that Leigh had been in, tentacles writhing around him as he calmly folded his arms before his chest, looking them all over.

"You again." Rouge muttered hatefully, eyes narrowing.

"**Cruelty, **if you do not mind?" **Despair** asked calmly, raising a claw in the air.

"No, it's my pleasure, "big brother"." Dr. Eggman laughed, rushing forward, his gloved hands now bristling forth with spikes, including two large ones embedded in his palm as he shot across the room with startling speed, making Shadow leap up as Marine pulled Rouge away, Shadow trying to catch Dr. Eggman on the side of his head with a flying kick.

Unfortunately, he failed, and Dr. Eggman knocked him down, pinning him to the ground by his hands and getting his knees on the sapient's chest, knocking the wind out of him as the white-furred echidna doctor cackled in triumph. "Oh, yes, YES!" He howled. "Such a good boy, just like I raised you-"

SCHA-SLORCH.

A tentacle impaled him through the chest and began to entwine around him as Despair calmly walked over to Shadow, hovering overhead with the madly-struggling Dr. Finitevus. "I was hoping to...avoid this." Despair murmured quietly. "...but we are out of options." He told them all, folding his arms. "Out of time..."

"We shall force you to perform life magic." Dr. Eggman said coldly, sneering down at Shadow. "Despair has now absorbed...partially...another being who can use life magic, and through him, we can force YOU to do it, thus making you endure a trip to the Other Side."

"Now..." Despair clasped his hands together. "Do pay close attention." He said cheerily, snapping his fingers as bloodied rust suddenly began to envelop him and Shadow, the golem momentarily looking to the side, eyes held low, a quiet thought flickering in his head.

"_...Cream...Vanilla...__be safe.__" _

...

...

...

...the smoke began to clear away as the others looked upon a disgusting scene. There was what appeared to be...what had once been Dr. Finitevus. Key word being "once". The echidna doctor had been apparently turned into a half-digested ball of flesh, fur and fat, stomach acid dripping off of his body in a disgusting pile on the ground as a horrific smell filled the room.

"Dear lord, that's like some kind of disgusting hairball..." Rouge mumbled, looking slightly ill as Marine held her hands over her mouth and tried not to vomit, Omega gazing at the...thing...with clear disgust visible in his beady red eyes.

"Evidently Omachao did not feel like fully finishing off his latest "meal"." Omega reasoned.

"At least it's not-**Shadow**. What's happened to Shadow?" Rouge realized, eyes widening suddenly.

"He'll have been sent below and deposited in our designer's laboratory, though I do not know if he has all of his limbs intact..." Dr. Eggman said calmly, shrugging. "Now then..." He held up his fists as they caught the light, grinning wildly. "Who wants to fight against me first? Who wishes to go down in legend as the one who defeated the great Dr. Eggman? The chao, striking back at the man who ordered their transformation? The foreign girl, seeking the chaos emerald I'm holding? The right hand of Shadow, avenging his defeat? The Shanazaran, avenging his people and his country?"

"You said...sent "below"...correct?" Omega said quietly, holding up his claws as he raised them up and slammed them into the ground.

KRAKA-THROOOOOM!

Now there was an enormous opening. Marine, naturally, jumped in first, the others heading after her as Omega took up a fighting position, facing down Dr. Eggman.

"Well-well-well, he who wields the might of Darkness challenging me...the avenging metal "angel" of Shanazar hear to teach me my "proper place"?" Dr. Eggman laughed. "But before you die, I'd like to know...what is your true name?"

Omega calmly blinked. And for a moment, he almost said it. After all, he intended to kill Dr. Eggman...nobody else would ever know.

And yet...

No, he decided. No.

"I don't have a name. Not anymore. It died along with my old ways. And when I have defeated you and helped raise a new homeland for my kind, my name will be reborn anew."

"Interesting. I don't remember my real name either. Two nameless warriors, locked in epic battle..." Dr. Eggman said, he and Omega circling each other. "Won't this be a amusing?"

Elsewhere...there was light.

Such...such light. Beautiful white light filled Shadow the Hedgehog's vision as he stood in a white abyss, back turned to an enormous door with beautiful, ornate designs on the front. There were dozens of languages written on the bottom that seemed to repeat the phrase "I am All, All are One".

"...this place." Shadow whispered, hand going to his muzzle as he nervously turned around, a soft voice calling out.

**"Hello...Shadow..."** Chaos said quietly, approaching him and pulling his hand down from his face, looking intently into his eyes, green into red. **"...do you know...why I am here?"**

Shadow felt himself becoming rooted to the spot, a chill rising in him as Chaos slightly tilted his head to the right. "...you...intend to...you're going to...to..."

**"I'm sorry, but you did not know YOUR place..."** Chaos told him, taking Shadow's hands in his own large watery claws. **"If it's of any consolation...I'm giving you "The Mark"..."** He crooned, patting Shadow's shoulder with one hand as he drew a bloody, rust-like mark across his chest. "**You'll be able to do metallurgy without a ring now. But...the point may be moot. This, I'm afraid, is justice." **

Chaos reached down...

"**I don't want to do this. **_**Believe me**_**. But there ARE rules to be followed. Hold hard, little hedgehog...do not lose sight of your biggest advantage...your true might." **

And Shadow awoke, screaming, gasping as Sonic and Tikal turned to him, NiGHTS blinking in surprise at Shadow's sudden appearance. "Oh, look who came!" He commented. "...well, this isn't good." He added, looking away to the side.

"Hmm, and your brother's soul apparently still hasn't returned to his current body." Reala mused. "...this is slightly annoying. What's taking him so long?" He wanted to know, tilting his head to the side and rubbing his chin.

"Not sure." Omachao said, retracting his tentacles into his form as he looked over in Shadow's direction. "...hmm. Odd. He hasn't seem to lost any limbs. Are his eyes gone? I can only see his back."

"My eyes are just FINE, thanks for asking." Shadow snapped over in the golem's direction as Sonic tried to take his hand. "Sonic, help me up."

"I am." Sonic told him as Shadow looked down at his hand, eyes suddenly widening, pupils becoming so tiny that they were practically invisible, lost in a sea of cloudy white.

"...I...can't lift them, I can't even...**Blue Blur**..." Shadow whispered to Sonic and Tikal. "..._I can't feel my hands_."

Sonic gasped in horror, his own eyes turning to pinpricks as Tikal stepped back, hands flying to her mouth as she let out a disturbed gasp.

"He lost the ability to use his hands?" Despair mused. "...well, WELL. That IS handy. Your abilities were VERY problematic. I mean, chaos techniques can be so troublesome, and though you might have Chaos's little "blessing", it's rather moot since you can't do any kind of magic without the use of your hands..."

There was a momentary sudden sparkling "BZZZT" that shot through the air as Despair clutched his chest for a moment, grunting. "...grrr...that...took more out of me...than I thought. Wallow in despair, metallurgists...let me drink in your sorrow and grief like a fine wine. The suffering of others makes the sweetest syrup, after all..."

...

...

...

... The Light. How could he ever forget this Light? Such... such beautiful white light filled Tails's vision and he saw himself standing before an enormous door with beautiful, ornate designs on the front. There were dozens of languages written on the bottom that seemed to repeat the phrase "I am All, All are One"...and what stood before him was not Chaos, no. Chaos was standing to the side, a sad look lingering on his features.

What was before him...was himself.

His true form. His real body. He held one hand out, smiling gently at the container of his soul. "I've been waiting for a long time, Miles." His true body said. "So...let's get together."

Tails was about to take the fox's hand, but then...he stopped, stepping back and then shaking his head, letting out a deep, low groan as he fell to his knees. "No...no, NO! LOOK at you!" He yelled.

His true body sighed sadly, looking down at his own form. "I know, I'm...I'm rather...weak...aren't I?"

He was little more than fur stretched across a skeleton. Fur unkempt...no fat...no muscles...sad, sunken-in eyes and nearly rotting teeth, a stench like a dozen dead bodies all rotting...he looked even worse than Sonic had described.

"How am I supposed to fight in a body like this?...everyone else is risking their lives and I'm supposed to come back like THAT?" Tails murmured. "I'd only put everyone in danger if I did that...they need the help of a stronger Tails than this..." Tails whispered out, standing up and turning to Chaos. "I need you to take me to them. They need my help."

**"...you're...sure?"** Chaos asked, opening up the doorway as Tails approached it.

"Dead sure." Tails said, leaping inside with a proud roar as Chaos chuckled.

"**And here I thought SONIC was the recklessly headstrong one."**

"I would be proud...to be his container." Miles's body spoke softly, a single tear trickling down his cheek. "Well and truly, I would. But he has no idea that his return...could bring more ruin."

"WOAH!" Tails cried out, shooting upright in his doll form as the others looked in his direction. "That was...weeeeird. Oh...I'm here again, in Void's laboratory..."

He looked over in Reala's direction. "Who's the cheap imitation of our father?" He asked Sonic.

"That's what Void's become. He calls himself "Reala" now." Sonic said.

"And Shadow has...lost the ability to use his hands." Tikal added quietly, making Tails gasp and then wheel on Shadow in fury. "You tried to do life magic?" Sonic asked, giving Shadow a confused but slightly angry glare, grabbing his shoulders. "TELL me you didn't-" The kitsune began to say.

"Do you HONESTLY think I would have done something so stupid?" Shadow snapped back at him as Tikal and Sonic helped him to his feet.

"We forced Shadow to open the gateway." Despair explained. "Serves him right for not agreeing to go through with it willingly...this would have been over and done with far more quickly. Not that I mind, either way he's lost his powers, as helpless as a little dibbun..."

"You want reality? This is reality: all magic comes with a price." Reala said. "The ones who sought a return of their mother's loving embrace...what happened? One lost his arms and legs, being unable to ever embrace anyone ever again, the other lost his body, forever unable to feel an embrace of another. The woman who sought to gain back her child lost the ability to ever again have one. And...at last...the man who sought to lead the people of his country into a bright future, taking his people's hands and leading them to the light...has lost the ability to use the things he prided himself upon. The power in his hands he would have used to build up the country has now been stripped from him. All of your dreams were stripped from you. That is the price of magic: that is reality: there is no room for foolish dreams, and you were punished for your stupidity. THAT'S the truth."

"BULLSHIT!" Sonic roared out.

The others blinked, looking squarely at him.

"Maybe it might make sense for us...we did life magic...we broke the rules. Yeah, we were being dumb...but to say that Shadow deserves it? He had his hand FORCED, it was against his will that he did life magic...to have his hands taken from him like this...that doesn't make sense! **That's not real truth!**"

"But it's what happened, whether you accept it or not." Reala said coldly. "Accept your reality, metallurgist!"

"Why should they? You didn't accept yours." NiGHTS mocked.

KRA-BRAKKA-THOOOOM! Marine dropped in through the roof with her pet koala sitting atop her shoulder as she landed expertly by Tails's side, smiling at them all. "Strewth...that was quite the fall...oh. Is THAT the buggah named "Void" you mates kept talkin' about?" She asked, pointing at Reala.

"Yeah, it is." Sonic said. "Calls himself Reala now. He's REALLY pissed me off..." The hedgehog added, clenching his fist tightly.

Reala frowned up at the roof, an annoyed expression flickering across his features. He couldn't believe she'd put such a big hole in his private workplace like this! It was so irritating. Now he'd have to waste time sweeping up after his project was completed.

"We've got to get out of here." Tikal quietly spoke to Shadow.

"And where do you think you can hide? You're all trapped, whether you know it or not. There's nowhere in Mobius I couldn't find you." Reala told them all, laughing as he crossed his arms across his chest.

"To think...Shadow's inside there..." Johnny murmured, he and the other chao standing by Rouge as she looked down into a strange, gel-like roof. They could vaguely see faint blobs that resembled people through this roof which were most likely the others, but there was no definite way to tell who was who.

"Be careful." Rouge whispered. "...don't go dying on me."

"You." Marine yelled out, pointing at Reala and interrupting his laughter.

"...what?" Reala snapped. "You interrupted my evil laughter of victory-"

"You're immortal, right?"

"...yes."

"Good. Just checkin'. This one's mine. You can have short, squat and freaky." Marine told the others as she began to do some stretching exercises.

"Well don't go saying that like-!" Sonic began to say, suddenly stopping in mid-sentence as he realized something.

_There was a momentary sudden sparkling "BZZZT" that shot through the air as Despair clutched his chest for a moment, grunting._

Sonic's eyes glittered like a chaos emerald. "...he's the one who forcibly made Shadow...doing that requires a LOT of energy..." He whispered, thinking out loud as a grin began to stretch across his face.

"He said earlier that he didn't want to do it, but was "out of options"." Shadow added.

"Well then...can't hurt to give this a try...ready, bro?" Sonic asked Tails.

"Ready."

"HERE...WE...GO!" Sonic roared out, he and Tails surrounding themselves in an aura of power as he and his brother launched waves of powerful lightning energy at **Despair**, who growled and spun away, not using his tentacles but making a break for it.

"Great, more property damage. And now I'm going to add an "assault and battery" charge to you two!" Reala laughed before a knife shot into his head, embedding in the side and making him grunt in pain. "What in blazes? He mumbled, yanking it out and holding it in his palm as Marine reached into her pocket. "Pulling out knives on me?"

"Nah, that's not a knife." Marine said as she held up her most prized possession, a machete-like sword that seemed to be about as half as big as she was. "THIS is a knife!" She laughed, running along the floor towards Reala, knife held in a fighting position.

"Well then, here, you can HAVE IT BACK." Reala said, the knife in his palm elongating and growing out into a spear he launched in Marine's direction, forcing her to leap to the side. "Why don't you just leave right now, it's not wise to annoy me-"

"Oh shut up!" Marine snapped, launching herself and her knife-wielding form towards Reala's head with near-impossible speed.

Unfortunately, Reala was quicker, and a sudden slashing of his claws knocked her bleeding form through the air as NiGHTS cried out in horror. "NO! Little girl!"

"Go save Marine, I'll take "short, squat and freaky"!" Sonic yelled in Tails's direction as Tails shot through the air towards Marine, **Despair** growling angrily, his tentacles finally emerging as Sonic launched himself at the golem.

"VANISH FROM MY SIGHT." Reala said coldly, holding up a palm, burning fire energy racing towards Marine's downed form.

"Close but no cigar!" Tails cried out, flying through the air and snatching Marine away.

"Come on, what happened to all of your vicious attacks from before?" Sonic laughed as he kept blocking off Despair's tentacles.

"DON'T misunderstand me! Until "the moment" comes, I HAVE to go easy on you!" The golem snapped, pouting slightly.

"Then I'll kick all your asses BEFORE "the moment" comes!" Sonic cried defiantly, leaping through the air, fist enveloped in lightning, Despair suddenly dodging to the side with surprising fluidity. Sonic growled, launching another attack in his direction as Despair dodged again.

"I think not. Most of your opponents besides me have been around your height or taller. You've no idea how to fight somebody smaller than you!" Despair laughed coldly, his tentacles suddenly shooting up from under Sonic.

"Normally you'd be right." Sonic admitted, leaping backwards with a slight laugh. "But BECAUSE I've only fought the "big and tall" types...I KNOW WHAT WORKS ON SHORTIES!" Sonic roared out, kicking off the air with a blast of wind and HEADBUTTING Despair with an electrically-charged Air-Dash.

THUNKA-CLUNK! The sound delighted Sonic as Omachao screamed, reeling back as oil bleed out from his orifices, drizzling out the side of his mouth as he staggered around.

Meanwhile, Omega and Dr. Eggman were circling each other, occasionally leaping forward and trading blows, neither one able to really fully touch each other's skin. The gloved, energized hands of Dr. Eggman and Omega's claws continued to ricochet off each other like bullets being fired through the air, stopping themselves in their tracks.

"What's wrong!" Dr. Eggman laughed wildly as he and Omega grappled in the center of the room, Omega growling quietly in response. "Is this REALLY all you have? I'm not impressed." He kicked Omega squarely in the "gut", Omega rushing back towards him, spinning through the air and attempting to land a kick upon the doctor, who ducked in time to avoid getting majorly hit, but had his goggles being knocked through the air, shattering to pieces by the dark energy curled around Omega's claws.

Unfortunately for the Shanazaran, Dr. Eggman scored a moment later, his gloves now striking out with his whips, slicing into Omega's chest, making the robot reel back, gasping as his shoulder cache opened up, two tiny rockets whizzing out in response, brimming with dark energy, one striking Eggman squarely in the side.

Blood splurted out of Dr. Eggman's mouth as he staggered back, Omega jetting forth and slashing, one glove now slightly torn and ripped with the doctor's hand partially cut, but even that wasn't enough. The doctor thrust his other hand forth and a blinding flash rose from the glove. Omega reeled back, his sensors flooded as Eggman leapt through the air, knocking him to the ground, pinning him with the still-potent torn glove, his other glove crackling with electricity and rushing towards Omega's fallen form-

But Omega wasn't done. He snapped his fingers on his other hand, and a shimmering white shield popped up, pushing Dr. Eggman back, knocking him away as the Shanazaran stood up, holding his fists high, a proud look glimmering in his crimson eyes.

"A ...a light energy shield? What was that?" Dr. Eggman snarled.

Omega held his chest compartment open, showing off the Life Ring within him. "My brother...my dear brother researched metallurgy and Yakin Shīru. He gave me his life ring. Through that...I gained the ability to dance with the darkness. Yet his true gift to me...was life. The ability to protect it...and give it. And I couldn't access it before, for my heart felt only hate. Yet now...now I understand."

He placed one clawed hand over his "heart". "Hatred...cruelty...is illogical. Even Religious teachings make this clear. Faith and Thought need not be enemies, just as organic and robot need not be enemies. He gave me the chance to gain more power...I just had to be willing to open my mind and my heart. I had to change my goal, which now mimics his own..."

Omega looked up, as if gazing into Heaven. "...to help better this world."

"Oh, look..." Reala mused, checking an imaginary watch. "It's time!"

He clapped his hands together, slamming them into the ground and with that, enormous hands of metal and earth shot up from the ground below, ensnaring them all tightly and keeping their hands in a locked position as a bubble of water popped up over their mouths, forcing them to keep quiet, or else breath in water. "Time to go to work." He told them all.

High above Mobius...high above the world...it was happening. The sun and moon...the planets in the solar system truly WERE coming into alignment in what the inhabitants of Earth failed to realize was no mere optical illusion.

"The time has come!" Reala laughed eagerly. "Tell me...do you remember what I said to you when we first met? About perfect beings? People who experience flight into space undergo a major transformation in their consciousness. They receive an enlightenment. They become "perfect beings" and become one with the world. And I...I wished to create perfect beings...and to create a world without war...without hunger...without sickness...well, the question then became "how to do that to the inhabitants of an entire country"?"

Suddenly Sonic and Tails's eyes widened.

"The space station remnants beneath the country. They're not just scrap, they're all ready to be brought to life and fully functioning..." Tails realized out loud.

"All of you have "The Mark" of Chaos upon you. With your powers combined with my own...I am going to teleport everyone onto the space station I named **Monad**, and then we shall shoot up into space, achieving what your "God" couldn't give to you, what magic couldn't provide, what science couldn't hope to create...**PERFECTION**."

Reala prepared to clap his hands together.

"Oh NO." Sonic whispered.

"So THIS is the center of it all!"

"YOU?" Despair gasped as **Selfishness** launched himself out of the darkness, super form glistening in the pale light of the laboratory, claws slicing deep into the back of Reala's head, cutting through him like tissue paper.

"I'm gonna to take it all!" **Selfishness** laughed, his eyes becoming slit pupils, cold laughter echoing in his voice. "**I WILL TAKE EVERYTHING FROM YOU, "FATHER DEAREST"!" **He roared out, Reala falling to the floor in a bloody mess as he licked blood off his fingers, throwing back his head and laughing as the others gazed on...

Wondering, if Reala was dead...downed at least TEMPORARILY by this golem...why their bonds weren't broken.

They got their answer a moment later as Reala calmly stood back up, his pulpy body reforming itself into substance as his head did a complete 180, a smile splitting his face. "I knew you'd show up here. You're so predictable, son." Reala said calmly. "What can I say? You take so much after your father."

"I am NOTHING like you!" The golem snarled angrily, rushing forward to try and stop him...

His father slammed his hands down onto the ground, and with that...

It all went to **HELL**.

**SEASON FOUR ENDING CREDITS!**

(NiGHTS, in his true form, stands atop of Babylon as the sun sets over the city. He smiles and sits upon the edge of the rooftop as the faint rays of the sun fall across his home.)

_**Ano hi kara zuuuutto...**_

_**nakanai to kimetekita kedo!**_

_**Itami o...kasanete mo...**_

_**nanika o...yurusezu ni ita!**_

(An image of Aleena posing for a picture with her children is seen as they sit in front of their house, Aleena's hands gently resting on her son's shoulders as they grin for the cameras.)

_**Mou modorenai ikutsumo no hibi,**_

_**boku wa mada nanimo dekizu ni!**_

_**Kimi no...ita kioku no kakeraaaa...**_

_**mata hitotsu...kieteyukuuuu!**_

(A image of Void in HIS real form appears, sitting in an alley, head held in his hands as he shakes it back and forth, the rain falling down upon his head as he lies alone, the image slowly changing to be of NiGHTS, lying in an alley in Soleanna, all on HIS own...)

_**Kyou yori motto!**_

_**Tsuyoku naritai!**_

_**Kono koe ga kimi ni todoku you ni!**_

(Now we all see Sonic and the others sitting together at Tiara's table, all of them eating together as a family as the shot slowly pans outside, showing the humble, welcoming house they're all sitting in)

_**Arukitsuzukete,**_

_**kaze ga yandara,**_

_**kotae sagashite sora miageru yo!**_

_**Yoake no saki ni hikari ga sasu yoooo...**_

_**Niji ga kakaru yoooo...**_


	47. Final Crisis

_The search for Truth is universal. The search for answers is something all beings share. Self-improvement is a goal of all. We can always be "just a bit better" at something, and we always want to know HOW._

_Magic was one of those answers. _

_It can do so much for us. Bring such joy and happiness. But all magic is said to have a price..._

_Unless you have "it". _

_The Chaos Emeralds. The power of God. Those who possess it...they are unbound to laws of equivalent exchange...they_ _can gain without sacrifice... create without equal exchange. We searched for it..._

_We found it._

_...God..._

_I wish we hadn't. _

**Episode Forty-Two:**

**最終的な危機****!**

**Final Crisis!**

"We come to all of you with...regretful news." Ms. Corik murmured as she tightly gripped her table, hoping that the broadcast reached out to the rest of the world. "Mobius has...it...it was just launched into outer space moments ago, and the tremendous forces that it took to do so...I can't believe I'M still alive."

The feline sapient titled the camera to look outside the window, pointing. "Look, LOOK! I...I could be the only one alive. Everyone else in the room...I'm..."

The tears began to form in her eyes as Ms. Corik made what could very well have been her last broadcast. "If ANYONE is listening...please...pray for us."

And with that, millions upon billions of souls bowed their heads in prayer...candles became lit...cries echoed out from halls of worship...

They heard...

And they prayed.

..._OH, how they all prayed._

...

...

...

...A journey into space is, to those who have experienced it, might be described as a roller coaster ride from hell. It's oddly thrilling, true, feeling the force of gravity slamming into you as the rocket you ride in shoots forth into space. And if you survive, well...that in itself is equivalent to an Olympic athlete pumping iron high into the air. The struggle is hard... but once it's done, any pain you felt is forgotten. All you can think is "Holy CRAP, I did it".

For those that travel into space, the ecstatic beauty that surround them after the flight makes all the frightening struggle off of Earth become forgotten. You're in freakin' SPACE! How can anyone not be giddy out of their mind?

Well...

This was not the case for our dear world-saving protagonists.

"Oh no. Oh GOD no." Sonic mumbled out as he staggered to his feet, clutching his head as the others slowly rose up. They found themselves in a large-windowed hall with enormous, glittering steely walls and a beautiful golden roof shimmering above, large lighting fixtures hanging like futuristic chandeliers.

As Tikal passed her gloved hand over the pearly white floor, she was awed at the detail put into everything. A gentle, tender hum of machinery filled the air like a lullaby as Earth glittered out the window, tiny chunks of land floating around the station from the abrupt "ascension".

It was definitely impressive. What had once been a wreck of a station had been made beautiful by the spell. But all everyone else could think of was-

"There was a population of 25 million people in Mobius." Shadow murmured as they raced through the station, out of the hall. The only thing they wanted to know was "Is ANYONE still alive"?

And so they ran...ran away from a figure obscured by smoke as it flexed it's fingers, looking itself over.

"Well." It mused. "...isn't THIS surprising?"

...

...

...

...racing out of the nearest set of double doors, they were greeted by a surprising sight. The space station had apparently elevated all of Mobius...or rather, most of it, into space, encasing it in an oxygenated bubble. It was now floating through space like a kind of giant petri dish. It was almost hilarious until you looked around.

And saw the dead.

A population of 25 million people had been either teleported onto the station or had been shot up with it into space. Admittedly, the shield around the land had provided some protection. And some people had clearly been able to handle the sudden transcendent burst of power that surged over Mobius as it soared into space, propelled by magic's might and protected by science.

Yes, some people can handle the experience.

...and some can't.

"No...no, no..." Tails whispered, hands rising slowly to his face as Tikal wept openly, Shadow feeling the body of one person who's scent he recognized immediately. Not you too, Rouge, he thought to himself as he clung tightly to her cold form. Not you too...

"Oh God oh God oh GOD!" Marine howled in horror, looking around at the thousands that lay dead.

"Such a waste...so many people..." NiGHTS spoke solemnly, looking away, covering his face with one hand. There wasn't so much as a single trace of jovialness or geniality, his tone had become hard and cold as the bodies littered around them all.

"Ames...did she...oh please don't let her be dead..." Sonic whispered. "A phone! I gotta find a phone...gotta call her..." He rushed to his feet, searching through people's pockets for a cell phone. "Cell phone, cell phone, C'MOOOON..."

"...hey." White/King said quietly, chuckling a little bit. "Guess what movie this is from. "Oh No. No. Oh GOD! I SLEPT TOO LONG!"

"How can you make JOKES at a time like this?" Tikal screamed over at him, rushing over and smacking him across the face. She raised her hand up to smack him again when she saw the mournful look in the golem's eyes.

"Miss...what else is there to DO?" He whispered.

**Despair** stood calmly to the far side. His face was an almost unreadable mask, save for a faint glimmer of interest and a tiny hint of solemnity creeping into his voice. "...there's more than I had thought there would be." He spoke plainly. He didn't say it mockingly, or like he thought it was regretful, it was just an observation. "...much more than..."

But now his voice broke. Now his eyes became tiny pinpricks as cold horror crept into his voice and he began to shake, tiny claws flying to his cheek. "Vanilla...Cream..._VANILLA...CREAM_..."

He took off running, screaming as he raced across the streets of Central City. They HAD to be in here, they HAD to be alright, they just HAD to! **Selfishness** looked over in his direction, a momentary mournful look passing over his features as a calm, familiar voice echoed out across the land and they turned their heads to glance at-

It was him, and yet...it wasn't. Floating through the air came a being that looked slightly more like NiGHTS...much like him, in fact, and yet...all WRONG and EVIL in appearance. Long, whispy golden hair in beautiful locks... black-pointed nails calmly clacking against white-clothed arms...skin...pale white skin, like it was made of ivory and two thick horns jutting out from its head with brilliantly blazing purple eyes and several tiny tattoos of purple on its face...two stars on the cheeks...a moon as a "third eye" in the center of the forehead...

"What the hell?" Sonic gasped out.

"Hell? No, no, NO." The being before them said, putting one long-clawed hand upon its chest. "Behold...I have returned to my divine form. I am Ultraviolet. I...am an ANGEL."

"You sacrificed 25 million people just so you could grow horns, a lot of hair and a tail?" Sonic growled darkly, clenching his gloved fist tightly as he pointed accusingly at Ultraviolet. "You're no angel, you're a DEMON!"

"Everyone, get close to me. Like, NOW!" NiGHTS demanded immediately as Tikal lifted Shadow up and King/White and Tails quickly went to NiGHTS and Sonic's side, Ultraviolet calmly snapping his fingers as Sonic held up one hand, a swirling blackish/orange ball of gravity forming as he prepared to launch it at Ultraviolet and knock the sanctimonious floating sack of ego to the-

With a WOOP, the ball vanished. Sonic frowned and tried to summon it up again. Still nothing. Tails snapped his fingers...nothing.

"Our magic's CANCELLED? Oh, **C'MOOOOON!**" Sonic yelled angrily.

"Really, you're still intent on stopping me? Bringing me to "justice"? There's some survivors, I'm sure." Ultraviolet mused, rubbing his...or perhaps her...chin. "They'll have become new beings. They shall be as I am...only less so. I mean, look at you. I can feel power emanating off of you. Too bad I've cut you off from using it...it must be **maddening**."

It was true, Sonic realized. He could feel it bubbling up inside of him, something big and powerful and practically screaming to get out and he couldn't access it. This divine little spark of something amazing, so close and yet...so far...

"Well, I suppose it's just too dangerous to leave you all alive and you really wouldn't willingly work with me even if it meant all the benefits of the world. You just hate me that much, don't you?" Ultraviolet asked them all, holding up a single claw as burning white light began to seep down from it, pooling beneath him and spreading out behind his back. Slowly it began to rise, an enormous, muscular winged form, roaring and gnashing it's fangs as it spread it's wings out.

"SUMMONING MAGIC?" NiGHTS gasped out, purple eyes widening like dinner plates as the dragon opened it's jaws wide at them.

"Show them your **Ranpu Shougekiha.**" Ultraviolet asked politely.

The white dragon lowered its arms slightly, then raised them up as light built up in its opened maw, swirling around to reach a center point, a large ball of teeming energy. It then clenched its fists as it roared and an ENORMOUS ray of burning light shot out, twirling through the air like a ray of sunlight that was poking through a set of clouds…only ten thousand times more potent and deadly. It soared straight towards them...

But NiGHTS was ready, holding up a hand as a shimmering, glittering reddish shield erected as the chaos emerald within him throbbed with power. "Stay by my side, alright?" He called out as the burning light shockwave roared against the shield he continued to hold up.

"...hmph." Ultraviolet frowned, holding up one hand as beams of light began to swirl around it, and he fired forth a burning-hot, hyper-condensed blast of fire and light that slammed into the shield, NiGHTS visibly shaking, stuttering madly.

"K-K-Keep b-behind me ev-everyone, I...c-can take...take this..."

"You can take an attack from above. But how about...BELOW?" Ultraviolet mused, snapping his fingers as surging black metal claws curled forth from the ground, shooting forth to uproot them from beneath their feet.

THWIPA-THWOOP!

A piece of paper with blood written upon it slapped down in front of the ground around them.

Now they were all encased not in a simple shield, but a red and gold bubble floating in the air as Marine lowered one gloved hand, panting slightly, some blood dripping off from her other hand. "No need tah thank me, mates. Just doin' me job! Don'tcha love Ring Arts?"

"Foreigners kick ASS." Tails agreed, nodding his head as the others nodded in appreciation.

"Okay, now I'm getting a mite annoyed. Ultraviolet said as the dragon and the spikes slowly vanished from sight and he held aloft one clawed hand, something beginning to form in it. A brilliant but foul-feeling greenish/black fire began to spread from his hands as sparks of light shot forth and embedded in the dead around them all...

Ultraviolet chuckled coldly. "They crave your hearts and your demise...by my black claws...THE DEAD SHALL RISE!"

What had once laid still and cold now began to rise back up, groaning and moaning as if in agonizing pain, eyes unseeing and white, flesh and fur beginning to pale as they slowly walked towards the others, who were rooted to the spot in horror and disgust.

"NECROMANCY? You DISGUSTING!" NiGHTS screamed furiously.

"You...will...DIE!" Shadow promised darkly as he faintly heard Rouge's stolen voice begging for him to come closer, the things banging on the shield around them as NiGHTS and Marine struggled to keep their protective bubble up.

"I win." Ultraviolet said. "Look at me now, brother dear. I'm INVINCIBLE!"

And suddenly, just like that, his eyes suddenly turned a dark shade of bloody rust as he vomited black blood onto the ground, howling in pain as the people around him suddenly fell back down dead to the ground, Ultraviolet panting and heaving.

"What...the hell...have you done?" The "angel" managed to gasp out.

"I spent years preparing for this." NiGHTS explained. "...my friends...my comrades...they agreed to inhabit regions of Mobius...to form a spiritual presence around the land...a form of Yakin Shiru that would help grind your plans to a halt, a plan that would bring everyone whom you killed back to life, a partial reversal of your spell...and when you tried to take me into you, you added the final piece to that spell. Your body is spelling out the last dot in the last word!"

Ultraviolet howled in pain, reeling back as the whole station began to shift and shake, and the others saw the formerly dead now rising...and filled with LIFE. People were coughing, shaking as they stood back up, hacking out phlegm and spit, but alive...alive.

Ultraviolet could feel it. His power that he'd gotten from the dead who hadn't survived the "ascension" process had been taken away from him, was BEING taken away from him, sloughing off, spirits being returned to their bodies. His attempt to cash in a chaos emerald had failed...the check had bounced.

"Even if...you brought them back...I still have SOME power...we are still far away from the planet and I can just use the abilities remaining to-"

"Who says we'll be staying up here for much longer?" NiGHTS laughed. "The other part of the plan was a ring. But not one made of blood. I was thinking of a different kind of circle. Tails...son...tell me...what shape is the continent of Mobius in?"

"It's circul-" Tails began to say, eyes widening suddenly as he realized what his father was saying. "There's a circular shadow being cast down onto the Earth from up here! That means..."

"That means I've got the ring I need to junction my power with Mobius. This is the next part of the reversal plan." NiGHTS said. "Everyone...HOLD ONTO THE GROUND AND PRAY." He roared out, holding up his fingers and snapping them as everyone quickly clung to the ground for dear life.

CLICK!

...

...

...

...meanwhile, Omega and Dr. Eggman had survived the sudden trip and had continued their fight, awakening long before the others had.

"You shall have to do far better than this!" Omega roared out as he spun through the air, fists encased in burning black and white energy, striking out at Dr. Eggman who kept blocking over and over again as best he could. The Shanazaran let out an almost giddy laugh as he spun backwards, holding up his fists above him and thrusting them forth, a swirling vortex of power surging out to envelop Dr. Eggman in a suffocating blanket of energy.

Dr. Eggman managed to dive away in time, lashing out with one glove to send a whip of burning flame in Omega's direction, but Omega blocked it with a shimmering white shield of light energy, shaking his head back and forth. "I think NOT!" Omega laughed proudly. "As I said before...you will have to do FAR better than this!"

"Shanazaran..." Dr. Eggman snarled, racing around Omega and holding up his other glove, bursts of plasma energy spitting out as his eyes, pulsing strips of ones and zeroes, burned with fury. He wanted this being before him to SUFFER. Had it flesh, he would have wanted to make it eat itself. "Shanazaran! Isn't magic anathema to your ways! Isn't metallurgy a spit in the face of your kind's ideals? Do you think GOD is going to help you?"

A flicker of amusement passed over Omega's beady red eyes as he held the shield up high, his armor shimmering and glittering like a beautiful pearly sentinel, his red eyes becoming a soft, gentle blue as a sense of calm and love began to pass over him.

"You're hiding from the truth! Don't you understand?" Dr. Eggman screamed out, jumping forward and pounding away at the shield over and over with his crackling gloves, hysterically laughing. "Somewhere within you, you MUST believe! There IS no God! This is all just one big CLUSTERFUCK! We're all screwing ourselves over!"

He struck again and again at the shield, each strike giving a loud THUNKA-SZZZ sound as electricity sparkled from his gloves, Omega seeing the danger...

Had he a face, he would have smirked.

With a squelchy, wet explosion, 's gloves exploded, two thick, large holes spreading out across his palm as he staggered back, blood trickling down his hands as Omega held up two clawed hands, dark and light energy twirling around each other as he shot forth a four constructs of energy...

And Dr. Eggman was sent spinning, finally pinned to the wall, a spear sticking deep through his feet, his hands and his side as he heaved and coughed, his life ebbing out from him as Omega folded his arms, looking Dr. Eggman over as Eggman gurgled slightly.

"I didn't ever really believe in God. But...I think the saying is "Oh God, why have thou forsaken me"?"

"And now here comes an "angel of mercy"." Elise said as she emerged from the shadows, holding up her heart-shaped scepter at Dr. Eggman's head.

"Here to avenge your grandfather?"

"Any last words?"

"...none."

"None? You're such a sad thing." Elise spoke quietly, a momentary hint of pity creeping into her voice. "Was there anyone who you cared about? Is anyone really going to miss you once this is over? Once we tell the world about what you and your master had planned...your wife, your daughter"

"I...CHOSE her. Chose them both." Dr. Eggman said. "...when you truly care about someone...you don't need to say any words. You simply know. That's all." He told her as his voice became more and more of a whisper. "...they know...they both know...I've always known they were meant...for..."

And with that, he became still, Elise looked away, turning to Omega as he looked down at himself.

"...you appear to be...different."

"I FEEL different." Omega said simply as Elise noticed the chaos emerald in Dr. Eggman's pocket, taking it from him. "...is...different good?"

"...yes. Yes, I think it is. You know, white looks good on ANYONE." She laughed, twirling around slightly and beaming at Omega. "But we'd better go find the others..."

And suddenly there was a loud LURCH as Elise gasped, looking around. "What in..."

"Hold onto me." Omega demanded quickly, digging his claws into the ground as Elise raced to his side, gripping him tightly as the sky began to fall...

...

...

...

... "Curses, curses, curses, curses, CURSES!" Ultraviolet roared out as he spun through the air, the others launching forth blazing attacks of magical energy. Sonic was flying around, propelled by wind magic as he and the other's rings glowed like circular rainbows, Tails and he shooting forth balls of flame and gravity, Tikal pointing over and over again at Ultraviolet as whips of water shout out from the ground, trying to pin the floating "angel" down.

"Curses"? Really?" NiGHTS laughed, looping around his "brother" and launching him through the air as Marine delivered a harsh kick to the pale thing's back, making him spin through the air. "That's so old-fashioned! Keep it up!"

The land of Mobius had indeed fallen back to Earth...MOSTLY in place. It was unknown what the extent of the damage was, but if the gleeful cries of people rejoicing in newly-given-back life outside meant anything, much of the population of Mobius was unharmed.

"YOU'RE ANNOYING ME!" Ultraviolet roared out, re-righting himself in the air and letting out a dark, furious roar as burning-black flames spat forth from his mouth, stretching out like claws to envelop them all, NiGHTS quickly rushing forth and holding up his hands, his chaos emerald shining out, eyes aglow as the flames were beaten back by a shield.

"He's still got a whole lot left in him..." Sonic admitted as Ultraviolet snapped his fingers again and again, blasts of flame and darkness energy sparking all around them, he and his brother weaving through the blasts.

"I don't think he can take much more of this, that new form of his required the power that came from all those people we brought back! He can BARELY keep himself together, he's literally like he's a giant water balloon, trust me, he's probably on the very **edge** of bursting!" Tails called out as he whizzed through the air, throwing an Earthen hammer at Ultraviolet, smacking him in the face.

"Nah, nah, more like THIS." **Selfishness** laughed as he jumped through the air and brought down an enormous slab of concrete he'd shaped like an anvil.

"Low-quality finish, dude." Sonic laughed.

"Kiss my fat white ass!" The golem sniggered, his amusement suddenly ceasing as Ultraviolet ripped through the would-be anvil and leapt up, kicking him away with the force of a bullet train, King/White rocketing through the air.

"I'll deal with all of you later." Ultraviolet mumbled balefully as he soared off through a blown-open hole in the space station, NiGHTS's eyes widening as he realized what his "angelic brother" was up to.

"He's trying to create more chaos emeralds, replenish his supply of power..." NiGHTS gasped, turning to the others and pointing in the direction his brother was flying: the main residential and shopping district of Central City. "We've got to stop him!"

"I'm sorry...dammit, the one time I'm really needed and I can't use my powers..." Shadow murmured as Tikal helped him up to head off after Ultraviolet.

"It's alright. It happens." Tikal said sympathetically, patting him on the back with a pitying glance passing over her face.

"You...YOU!" A voice screamed out.

They turned their heads, a familiar, grief-stricken raging voice snarling out. Sonic was being gripped by his arm by one of Omachao's metal tentacles, oily tears trickling down the golem's cheeks as the other tentacles smashed against the ground over and over again, the golem quivering with fury and sorrowful rage.

"Looks like this guy wants a piece of me." Sonic murmured. "Go on ahead guys, I'll handle him!"

"Do not lose, my dear pupil." Tikal called out supportively as Tails gave his brother a thumbs up.

"You can do it, bro! Just hurry up, okay?"

"Yeah, you'd better not lose to him." King/White laughed as he raced off after them. It wasn't long before, luckily, Knuckles and the others caught sight of them and Tikal's father rushed to embrace her, Rouge kneeling by Shadow as Shade and Knuckles looked at him.

"...they got your hands." Rouge murmured, hands flying to cover her mouth, Knuckles and Shade turning pale in disgust and horror. "Oh, sir, I'm sorry..."

"How injured are you?" Shadow asked. "Can you still fight?" He asked Rouge.

"Shadow, SERIOUSLY, you've got to worry over YOURSELF right now!" The bat sapient insisted, taking his shoulder and shaking her head back and forth.

"Can you still fight?" Shadow asked again, speaking solemnly as something shot from his eyes to hers, understanding dawning upon her.

"...hell yeah." She said, clenching her fist tightly and pumping the air as she and Shadow took off with the others, King/White following Elise's scent and seeing Omega's transformation as they too joined with their friends, Eggman being deposited on the ground nearby.

"...nice look." King/White said, looking Omega over before glancing at Dr. Eggman. "...so, Cruelty...you're dead too, huh?" He mumbled. "...heh. If you could see how you look right now, you'd probably find it funny."

"What?"

"Oh just...life's little ironies, that's all." King/White mused as he knelt by Dr. Eggman, closing his eyes.

"Damn you...damn you..." **Despair** tearfully growled out. "I should have just killed you all instead of risking...**DAMN YOU!** You sapients, you humans, non-golem meatsack TRASH!"

"Cream and Vanilla...they're hurt...maybe worse...aren't they?" Sonic asked quietly as he yanked his arm free and he and **Despair** circled each other, **Despair** clenching clawed fists tightly.

"I went to them...tracked their scents...even when the others rose, the two...they hadn't...this is YOUR fault!" He screamed furiously. "If you had just left the damn country...nooo, NOOOOO, you had to play the hero, stay behind to try and save everyone, you got them killed!" **Despair** screamed as he jumped on Sonic, slashing him across the cheeks with his tiny claws, oil dribbling down from his cheeks onto Sonic above.

"No, YOU and your FATHER got them killed." Sonic grunted out, knocking the metallic chao back as he held up his fists, getting into a fighting position. "If you had just told Void "no", this wouldn't have happened. Why did you listen to him at all? You knew what Void had planned!"

"He's my daddy, of COURSE I listened to him!" the golem screamed back at him. "What kinda stupid question is that?"

"YOU'RE the stupid ones. You're brainless zombies who never thought for yourselves. White's more like an evolved human of some kind than a golem." Sonic told him, shaking his head.

"Shut up...SHUT UP! I'll kill you and bring your dead corpse to father and he'll be so grateful he'll bring them back!" The golem hysterically began to murmur, heaving and panting as blood began to leak out of the side of his mouth along with his tears, mixing to form a pool below his tiny feet.

"You really think he CARES? Look at you! You've got one foot in the grave and he didn't even look BACK at you!" Sonic insisted.

"SHUT UP!" Omachao, Golem of **Despair** screeched out, diving forward and grabbing Sonic with his tentacles, forcing his mouth open as his eyes became feral lights. "I've made my bet...this body's not lasting much longer...but that's fine! Father made me from his own genetic material and he is your father's blood kin...I'll simply use what power I have left to transfer myself into you, your body's close enough to work!"

But suddenly Omachao reeled back, screaming in pain as his eyes flashed bright blue, a voice echoing out from his mouth. "OH NO YOU DON'T."

"B-Bean?" Sonic gasped.

"Wh-what are you...**how?**" Omachao gasped out, reeling on the floor, coughing and hacking as his tentacles began to dissolve away. "HOW, damn you?"

"Your stupid brother was nice enough to give me his chaos emerald. It's enough for me to do this. I wouldn't have interfered normally, but...really, I'm so disappointed in you." Bean's voice echoed out from Omachao's mouth. "Instead of owning up to what you did...facing the ones whom you made suffer head on...you're trying to shift the blame. Run away. You're PATHETIC."

Sonic saw his chance. He dove forward, his rings glistening brightly as his eyes glowed red, his fur becoming golden.

_"I'm going to die_." Omachao realized, tears trickling down his cheeks.

"Die? You don't know Sonic the Hedgehog very well, **do** you? The Blue Blur has something else in mind!" Bean laughed inside Omachao's mind as he smiled inwardly, Sonic's body emitting a bright light as a humming sound filled the air, Omachao shaking madly as Sonic gripped him tightly.

"S-stop..." Omachao whispered as he felt his body begin to shake even more and more wildly, cracks of light emitting from his form, the images of Cream, Vanilla and Cruelty burning into his head. "Stop it...STOP IIIIIT!"

_"Wait...are you...Cream and Cheese?" Sonic asked suddenly, turning back to normal as Vanilla entered the room with a small guard surrounding her._

_"Yes, these are my children. I'm sorry Cheese is so excitable, he's always admired you." Vanilla told Sonic with a laugh._

_"And I just LOVE Magic!" Cream added as she hugged her mother, Cheese doing the same. _

_"One day I wanna be a State Metallurgist so I can help out my daddy!"_

_"Yeah, he's the BEST!" Cheese said, nodding eagerly._

_"You...really love him, don't you?" Sonic said softly._

_"Even though neither of us are blood relations, and even though I'm a "lab rat"..." Cheese admitted. "He still cares for us like we're his own flesh and blood." The talking chao said. "People were unnerved by the idea of me being his son, but he cares for us so much that all they can see is the love he has for us, and I couldn't be happier!"_

"NOOOOOOOOOO!"

_Dr. Eggman was visiting Cream and Cheese's school. It was a special occasion indeed, the school was showing off art samples that the children had created. Vanilla was especially impressed with the macaroni sculptures that Cheese had made. The boy was a natural!_

_"These look good enough to eat." Vanilla insisted as she and Dr. Eggman examined the sculptures of Cheese's family, the two of them moving over to the "painting" section of the orange-painted art room. _

"PLEEEEEEEAAAAAASE!" He wailed.

_"Cream, she...she insisted that Vanilla take us to get ice cream. She had me in her lap. There was another accident, Vanilla was forced to swerve the car when a truck ran a light and Cream hadn't put her seat belt on. I felt that sensation of flying, I was CERTAIN I was going to be hurt again, but...but Cream held onto me the whole time, she bore the brunt of what happened. We slammed into a fruit stand...she was badly hurt, but I...I was spared. And Vanilla, she rushed us both to the hospital in her arms and stayed with us all through the night."_

_Cheese sighed and rubbed his cheek. "And I wondered then, "Is this what it means to be in a "real" family? Void told me that it wasn't possible for me to feel love, especially not since I was a machine in basic design but...but I realized that I did feel something so much like it for the two. I asked Cream and Vanilla to be spared from what would happen. Vanilla cares for __**Cruelty**__, my little "brother", and Cream would be a good mate." He smiled wistfully, sweet dreams entering his head._

_"...so...you...__**like-like**__ her?" Tails asked._

_"Yes, I...I believe I do." Cheese commented_

**KRA-KROOOOOOM!**

With a clap of thunder, Omachao seemed to just VANISH in a blast of light, rays of white shining out from his body as Sonic stepped back, the white glow around him fading away as he dusted himself off.

"Never used Life Magic before. Doubt ANYBODY'S used it like THAT before...heh-heh." He chuckled, looking down at the unmistakable form of a baby chao, huddled up on the ground, curled in a ball and whimpering quietly in its sleep. "...I really hope Cream and Vanilla are alright...I've got a lot of explaining to do to them. Until then, you stay there...Cheese."

Cheese quietly whimpered as he curled up further, tiny tears brimming in his eyes. "No, don't go...don't go..."

...

...

...

... "That's as far as you go!" NiGHTS roared out as Ultraviolet frowned darkly, turning to glare at his brother as the several dozen people he'd attempted to make into a chaos emerald coughed and heaved, trying to steady themselves as Tails, Marine and Tikal joined the purple jester as he confronted the avaricious being. "Sorry to interrupt another one of your "precious experiments" but I'm putting an end to this. NOW."

"Always such concern for the "little people" of this planet. There's over six billion of them, who cares if a few hundred million vanish to benefit an angel, a messenger of God himself?" Ultraviolet commented, shaking his head.

"WHY do you look down on them? Be it sapient, human or sentient machine you always disrespected anybody who wasn't a divine. It was the humans who first made magic and gave it to sapients and machines, who in turn fine-tuned it and then created the chaos emeralds, and from that comes your power. They were created by Him, just like you were. So most can't fly. So most can't hold the power of a sun in their hand. Who cares?" NiGHTS said. "They don't need large claws to tear through walls. They don't need magic to fly. They don't need innate magic to burn things away. Take all your fancy powers away and what are you? A pale circus clown with a tail."

Ultraviolet frowned at this. "Are you trying to say something?"

"What good have you brought to the world? Your idea of "paradise" translates to millions as "acceptable causalities". That's not how we work. We're meant to bring joy to the world. Happiness. The work of God." NiGHTS told him, putting a hand on his chest.

"Ah. Happiness. Well, I think I know what might make you happy." Ultraviolet said, rubbing his hands together. "How about...if I bring LIFE to this world? Tell me if these seem familiar."

He snapped his fingers as light shimmered around his body, sloughing off like rain down a windowpane as the light began to take real, physical form becoming, much to their surprise...

PEOPLE.

**PEOPLE**.

"Yooouuuu...it is...yooou..."A helmeted being whispered as he rose up from the ground, staring at NiGHTS with giant, clawed hands, eyes glittering in the center of their palms.

"King Wizeman..." NiGHTS whispered, hands flying to his mouth as Tikal gasped in horror, a tiny human baby tugging at her toes.

"We're back...we have bodies!" One avian sapient said cheerily as he clung to Tails, a gorilla sapient happily beating his chest as others emerged from the light.

"S-stop this! This isn't right!" Tails yelled out, screaming.

"Human again!" Another cried out, making his way towards Marine as she gasped in surprise. Yes, they were all "normal" in a sense but...so pale...and almost slouching over as if it hurt them to walk around...

"Behold! I...am immortal!" Wizeman murmured out as he came closer and closer to them all, his body beginning to dissolve into tiny droplets of life energy that faded away. "I sti-still l-live...still..."

"YOU MONSTER!" NiGHTS screamed furiously at Ultraviolet as the dark-eyed being's face was split by a terrible, unholy sneer, Sonic finally rushing through the streets just in time to see-

Ultraviolet flicked a hand forward.

And with that, everything around them EXPLODED into light...

And Sonic knew...nothing more.

...

...

...

...the phrase "Did anyone get the number of the truck that hit me" came to mind as Sonic swam...or rather, "hoggy-paddled" his way back into consciousness. And he wasn't the only one. The explosion had been IMMENSE. Central HQ and a great chunk of Central City's downtown now looked less like New York City at midday and a whole lot more like Hiroshima after the Enola Gay had had its way.

"What in the name of Kentucky Fried Monkey Ass was THAT?" Ray yelled out as he and the others helped their friends to their feet in the cracked-around walls of the television studio, Captain Draco helping a slowly-regaining consciousness Cream and Vanilla to THEIR knees.

"Cheese...he was HERE, I felt him, where..." Cream murmured.

"Hopefully he's alright."Vanilla admitted.

"Guys! GUYS!" Heavy's voice rang out over a radio as Wave picked it up. "Half of downtown just got blown sky high and most of Central HQ is...it's just GONE."

"...what do you mean, "gone"?" Elise asked King/White as she and Omega rose back up, Knuckles rubbing his head a Shade grunted, rubbing a bloodied-up arm.

"It's my "daddy dearest". He's transformed. He looks like Sonic's father...kinda. Only all the dude looks like a lady. More so than NiGHTS ever did, which is saying something." The golem laughed.

"Then they need help." Shadow said firmly.

"How? You're practically crippled."

"I don't need my hands. I've got HER." Shadow said, standing by Rouge and gesturing at her with his head as she proudly put her hands on her hips, nodding.

"Heh. That's the sorta thing I wanna hear." King/White said, folding his arms before his chest and nodding, grinning broadly as Rouge took off with Knuckles, the others following after, the smoke rising into the air a clear indication of where Ultraviolet was.

And where he was happened to be the epicenter of an enormous, smoking crater, the scattered, bloodied forms of Tikal, Marine, NiGHTS and Sonic lying around, Tails's doll-esque body almost utterly torn to shreds. He was only really a torso, a head and a hand now...he'd desperately tried to protect Marine from the blast and indeed, he'd blocked a good enough chunk of the damage.

However, he'd paid quite the cost. And so had NiGHTS, who had just barely been able to protect Tikal. He was flat on his face, eyes wide open, panting and wheezing. "NiGHTS..." Sonic murmured as he helped Tikal up.

BA-BAM! NiGHTS was knocked through the air by a bitch-slap from behind by Ultraviolet as he reached for Tikal. "Two down, and-"

KRAKKA-KRAKKA! Bulletfire rocketed through the air as the soldiers of Central suddenly joined the fray, firing away at Ultraviolet as Shade waved her rapier in the air. "FIRE! FIRE! Get the freaky pale one!"

"**Freaky**! Now that's just insulting." Ultraviolet mumbled as Captain Draco quickly raced onto the field, snatching Sonic, NiGHTS and Tikal up as Jet and Wave escorted Marine and Tails away.

"He's not even flinchin'." Knuckles growled as the troops launched flares through the air, pelting Ultraviolet as he rolled his eyes, a shield shimmering around him, a slightly bored expression on his face.

"Well. I think I can stop that." Shadow said as Rouge took his hands, clutching them tightly as a red light shone from the two of them, tiny sparks flying into the air. "C'mon...c'mon...a bit more..."

"I'm here for you, sir. I've got your back." Rouge said. Her concentration...his innate magical power. He just needed a different pair of hands.

And now hers blazed like a burning star as bright hot chaos energy-laced fireballs soared through the air like fastballs, striking against Ultraviolet's shield and exploding like dynamite cracking.

"Keep it up, don't give him a chance to counter-attack!" Shade insisted. "Wear him down!"

"**I SHALL DEFEAT YOU IN THE NAME OF THE MOOOOON!**" Elise laughed out, holding her scepter high and slashing it through the air, waves of energy swerving off from it to strike against Ultraviolet's shield as Knuckles punched the ground, metal and stone fists lashing out from the ground to strike the shield as well.

"Look at all of THAT." White whispered as King's spirit calmly watched. "Just...just LOOK at it."

"I am."

"With all that...I want that. I could have anything I wanted with that."

"...so that's it." King spoke gently.

White blinked stupidly. "...it? What is "it"?"

"When you were first made...what did you feel?" King wanted to know, tilting his head to the side as he looked at White's spirit.

"I felt...cold." White murmured. "...I felt very cold..so DEAD." He shivered involuntarily, clinging to himself and shaking his head back and forth. "When I grew in power and fame and wealth, when I performed, I felt so...so WARM, so ALIVE! Being on top of the world...that would mean-"

"That means all you ever really wanted was to never be alone." King said gently. "That's why you got so attached to people. You performed because you wanted attention. You took in those chao because you wanted to be special. Really...you just wanted to be **loved**."

White's mouth fell open slightly, then he closed it again as he raised a stolen hand to his cheek. "...I..."

"And you ARE loved." King said gently. "...you are loved with a BOUNDLESS love."

"Darn it! Nothing is working! He just won't DIE!" Shade growled as Sonic watched the assault continue.

"Give it up, your little struggles can't touch me. My power is nothing short of Godly." Ultraviolet said. "I mean it's actually a testament to my genius that I can speak with you in this form."

"So if they can't touch you, let's see if a GOLEM can!" King/White laughed out, leaping through the air, super form encasing him as he slammed a black and powerful fist into the top of his "daddy's' head...

And it SANK into it slightly as Ultraviolet sneered. "Aw, you're such a dutiful son, giving your chaos emerald power to your daddy."

"Nah, I'm a problem child, distracting you so HE can hit you."

"Huh?"

"DON'T LOOK UP." King/White laughed.

Naturally, Ultraviolet looked up as Sonic, fist held high and body glowing with golden light, struck out with his fist...

Ultraviolet blocking it...with his HAND.

HIS HAND.

Eyes widening. Gasps of shock. Sonic and King/White leapt back as Ultraviolet howled, holding his hand like he'd touched a burning-hot fireplace poker as bloody rust began to seep down from his open mouth.

"He can't hold the form anymore!" NiGHTS realized triumphantly.

"YOOOOOOOOOU!" Ultraviolet screamed furiously, black waves of power sweeping off from his body as Sonic and King/White was sent flying, with Sonic...

Being tossed onto a piece of wreckage, his feet being sliced off by a broken window who's remains were littered all around. Sonic's eyes went wide as he bawled, pain shooting up through his body as he screamed and screamed, clutching his stumpy legs with...

Well, he TRIED to. Until he realized that his hands were covered in bloody rust.

His rings. They'd been broken by that last burst of power he'd given to strike at Ultraviolet. His eyes widened in horror as Tails saw the danger, Ultraviolet glaring over at him, murder in his eyes.

"...no time." Tails murmured. "...and no other way."

"What're you talkin' about?" Marine whispered, seeing the look in Tails's eyes as he held up his hand.

"My brother sacrificed part of himself to bring me here...bind me to this world. I had wondered if I could just do the reverse...sacrifice what keeps me here to bring his old form back. I didn't have the power before, but...we just got sent through the stars...we have power before we didn't have...I have power before I didn't have. This could work. This...has to work."

"Tails, wait, STOP!" Marine yelled.

Tails snapped his fingers.

...

...

...

...** "So." **Chaos said, resting his body against the giant doorway as Tails, now returned to his true, gaunt body, sipped from the milk bottle Chaos had given him, eagerly slurping it up to down the broccoli he'd just eaten. **"You gave yourself up for him. You got your body back. That's something to be proud of...HE'S something to be proud of."**

"...yes. He is." Tails said quietly.

**"I LIKE the way you think." **Chaos admitted, holding up one clawed hand. "**I'm in a good mood...why, I shall even make this a two-for-one deal."**

SNAP!

"**One pair of arms and one pair of legs, fresh and ready for use, coming RIIIIIIIGHT up!" **

...

...

...

...a powerful, ringless, but still quite furious fist slammed into Ultraviolet with the force of freight train as Sonic punched and punched and PUNCHED him, everyone cheering and whooping like it was a boxing match. Rocky Balboa was beating Ivan Drago. Only one thing filled Sonic's mind as he struck again and again at Ultraviolet: a desire to BREAK him.

"Damn, he's not a man, he's a piece of IRON." Knuckles complimented.

"What're his fists made up of, some kind of metal?" Shade mused.

"FULLMETAL." The Wax quietly laughed.

"C'MON!" Sonic roared out. **"You're about to find out why you're not in our league!" **

A left to the face, a swift kick to the gut making him curl over, gasping. A harsh uppercut that clipped his horn and ripped his cheek open, Ultraviolet screamed inside his head, his body unable to keep up with the sheer level of denial and fear that now coursed through him.

This wasn't...POSSIBLE!

KRAKKA-THWAM!

He was just a stupid metallurgist!

KA-POW!

A stupid, mortal hedgehog sapient!

THUCKA-THWUNK!

How could he be winning?

"Get him, get him!" Came the cry. From all around they cheered and yelled and whooped as Sonic punched and kicked over and over. He didn't use a single bit of metallurgic magic, oh no. It was all natural fury. With his bare hands, he was beating down an angel...

THUWMF!

Correction. With his bare hands, he had BEATEN DOWN an angel. Ultraviolet hit the ground, eyes apparently unseeing, rolling back into his head as there was momentary silence all around before he whispered faintly...

"All my plans...my hopes and dreams...ruined. RUIIIIIINED!" He screamed, tugging at his hair, screaming and snarling, spitting like a wild bull as he leapt through the air towards a surprised King/White, hand digging into his stomach.

"GUAAAAAAAH!"

"Let go you idiot!" White's spirit yelled from inside King's body, the snake sapient's spirit holding tightly onto him. "You'll get sucked in with me and used up!"

"I'm not giving you up! You're an ally, my comrade, my FRIEND! I can't just let you die!" King yelled. "And if you want a SELFISH reason, I want the power you have...you can help me protect everyone back home!"

"Y-you can't...always...protect everyone...can't always...save everyone." White grunted out, the vortex of souls within being yanked up towards the dark light of Ultraviolet's body. "Believe me when I tell you that."

With that, one spectral hand SLAPPED King across the face as King's spirit blinked stupidly, letting go of White as the Golem of **Selfishness** began to vanish into the light. "What...are..."

"Just kidding. Now stay back. Watch me save everyone." White said with a wink before, moments later...

Ultraviolet's body began to BULGE and EXPLODE, reeling about and howling as his body began to turn black. "Wh-what are you doing?" Ultraviolet screamed as King found return of his body flooding back into him, and he looked down in shock upon his hands as Sonic ran to his side.

"You gave me a super form of chaos energy...tied to the darkness. And you? Your form is supposed to be tied to the light, oh "angel". You didn't think things through, absorbing a being who had power that was anathema to you." White's voice sniggered from inside Ultraviolet's body. "And here I thought you science-y types were supposed to be SMART."

"GET...OUT!" Ultraviolet snarled furiously, claws rising up, digging into his own chest around the heart...

Ripping a small, pinkish chaos emerald out, the faintly visible specter of Michael White, Golem of **Selfishness **drifting through the air, Sonic and King's eyes widening in horror as the chaos emerald began to dissolve away along with the specter, Ultraviolet reeling back in pain.

"D-damn...it..." White mumbled softly as he looked upon the tear-filled face of King, seeing Elise look apologetically up as she stood by her prince's side...seeing Sonic, a look of denial glistening in his green eyes. "...I feel so bad...I made him cry. Good kid..."

He smiled at them all, gentle warmth creeping through his spirit as he finally faded away. "They're all good kids...they were all...the best of friends...best I ever...had..."

Sonic looked at the spot in the air where his friend had once been.

And then...his fist rushed forward and shot through the open space where Ultraviolet's "heart" had been, ripping it sideways as if it was tissue paper, the being's weakened body falling to the ground with a squelchy, meaty PLOP as his body began to be covered in bloody rust, the being slowly dissolving away into tiny little rings that began to vanish before all their eyes.

"GO...TO...HELL." Sonic growled out.

"No...NOOOOO!" Ultraviolet screamed out as NiGHTS looked away, covering his face. "I WAS ALMOST THERE! DADDY! DADDY HELP M-"

And with that...he was gone.

...

...

...

...a white abyss. A big, all-too-familiar to you, true believer, door...and a pale being with a golden, sun-like gem in the center of his chest standing before the door.

"What...what in...why? Why me?" Void murmured.

"**Because you never, EVER understood."** Chaos said as he slowly appeared before Void's eyes. **"Look at you. You spent your whole life being around mortals and you never bothered to understand them at all. You had LIFETIMES to learn from them and all you did was become a thief. Every bit of power you had, everything you ever got was TAKEN from others. You never EARNED anything."** The watery being's voice contained no joviality, no kindness, no warmth. It was a cold as an icicle, and just as sharp.

"I...I was..." Void stuttered.

**"YOU were going to create paradise when you didn't even understand what it meant to be a mortal? YOU were going to use your power to make peace on Earth on the bones of millions, maybe BILLIONS? You never...ever...understood. All magic comes with a price, Void...but YOU have to be the one to pay it! ****ALL YOU EVER DID WAS PASS THE BILL ONTO SOMEONE ELSE!****" **Chaos snarled, waving his hand in the air in a dismissive nature.

Void staggered back, nervously gulping. "But...but I just..."

**"There's no room for such dreams. You were a stupid fool. And it's time you were PUNISHED FOR YOUR STUPIDITY."**

Void's eyes widened in horror, his own words being thrown back in his face.

"_That is the price of magic: that is reality: there is no room for foolish dreams, and you were punished for your stupidity. THAT'S the truth."_

"**And it's time to give you despair. I don't delight in cruelty...but this is justice, and this is your sentence."** Chaos spoke quietly, clapping his hands as the door slowly opened...but what lay beyond...was not the abyss of knowledge that Sonic and Tails and the others had seen.

...oh no. It was something far, far more infernal and terrifying.

"No...no, I BEG you, please..." Void whimpered as burning hot rings roped around his legs and arms. He turned his head towards Chaos, tears straming down his cheeks. "PLEASE! I'M **SORRY**! PLEASE!"

Chaos simply looked away, arms folded, head slightly bowed.

"PLEAAAAAAAAASE! I'M SORRYYYYYYY!"

The door shut tight.

**"...you already know my answer.**" Chaos whispered. **"...but there's one more person I hope will be appearing to me today..."**

Indeed. Sonic the Hedgehog was kneeling by his brother, shaking the doll's limp and pale-eyed form as Marine quietly wept, covering her face as the others stood nearby, Tikal sobbing slightly over her pupil, Shadow looking down solemnly with Rouge, King covering his face with his arm as Knuckles clutched his sister's shoulder tightly...and Sonic's eyes brimming with tears.

"C'mon, C'MON." Sonic murmured. "Think of something. THINK of something."

"S-son...I..." NiGHTS stuttered out. "...I've still got...got a life left inside me." He admitted, pointing at himself as he nervously approached. "It's just enough that it could bring Tails back. I was never there enough for you before, please...let me be a father to you now." He begged.

"...we PROMISED ourselves we wouldn't use the Chaos Emeralds to ever get our bodies back. PROMISED not to use the lives of others. Don't say stupid things, Dad, I'm not losing you...not losing you too..." Sonic screamed, suddenly realizing just what he'd said. "...I...I just..."

"Tails...Tails can't be gone..." Marine whimpered. "Sonic, please tell me you've got one of those brilliant sudden ideas of yours!"

"I don't...I...I don't know any Metallurgy spell that could..."

And that was when it hit him.

...why had he never THOUGHT of it before? Why had it slipped his mind?

Maybe it hadn't. Maybe he'd just thought it impossible. But if it ever was possible, today would be the day. Today, the day when everything had changed for them.

"We went into space...we have things unlocked within us that weren't there...potential...POWER." Sonic said. "And when you have power...ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE." He realized, standing up as he carefully took some of his blood left over on his body, making a ring around himself as he clasped his hands together as if in prayer. "Guys...this'll be the last act of **The Blue Blur**..." He told them all.

And he began to pray.

"I call upon the Seven Spheres, The Seven Heavens, the Four Pillars of Light from Above to hear our prayer...Lord, thou hast been favorable unto thy land, thou hast brought back the captivity of Jacob. Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people, thou hast covered all their sin..."

The ring around him began to glow, Brilliant white light filled the air...

"Thou hast taken away all thy wrath: thou hast turned thyself from the fierceness of thine anger... Turn us, O God of our salvation, and cause thine anger toward us to cease... Wilt thou not revive him again: that I may rejoice in thee? Show me thy mercy, O LORD, and grant me thy salvation!"

The temperature of the air began rising high as streaks of gold and silver flames whirled around and around the circle that the ring that he had formed.

"Surely his salvation is nigh them that fear him; that glory may dwell in our land. Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other. Truth shall spring out of the earth; and righteousness shall look down from heaven. Yea, the LORD shall give that which is good; and our land shall yield her increase..."

The blood began to sparkle with a thousand different points of light as millions of colors began to blend together before our protagonist's eyes...

"**RIGHTEOUSNESS SHALL GO BEFORE HIM, AND SHALL SET US IN THE WAY OF HIS STEPS!"**

...

...

...

... **"You came. I was hoping that you would."** Chaos told Sonic, clapping his hands together and rubbing them eagerly, a digusting smell lingering in the air from earlier.

"...what's with the smell?" Sonic asked.

"**You don't want to know. Really. But I must ask...how DO you intend to bring your brother back?"** Chaos asked as Tails stepped out from behind the doorway, nervously blushing as he stood by Chaos. **"What will the price be?"**

"That." Sonic said, pointing at the Doorway of Truth. "That's mine. Mine to use as I please. It's the source of my Magical Power, isn't it? Well...you can have my magic. And I'll just take my brother back, if you don't mind."

"You're sure about this?" Chaos asked gently. "You'll never be able to use magic ever again."

"I don't need magic, I don't need science, I don't need things like that. Metallurgy couldn't even save the life of a little girl and her best friend." Sonic spoke softly. "They're nice. REALLY nice. But they're tools. And you don't always need tools to get every single job done. Sometimes you can make it on your own. So yeah...I'm cool with this." Sonic said, nodding firmly.

The hedgehog then looked down upon the white ground, speaking softly, sadly. "But...I'm kinda sorry that I'll never get to see you again though. I mean...you gave me a chance to make everything right. You gave me what I needed to save everyone. You've been with me for so long..."

Tails walked to his brother's side as the doorway opened, Chaos gently putting a hand on their shoulders as an unmistakable smile came across his featureless face. _"I always will be."_

...

...

...

... "You...feel..." Tails murmured as his father and his brother gently held his furry body. "...warm. **I** feel warm!" He gasped, eyes widening as he looked around at everyone, big smiles greeting him no matter where he turned before his vision was obscured by Marine happily GLOMPING Tails and knocking him flat on his back.

"AAA! Watch iiiit! I just got this body back-OHHH, my back! MY BACK!"

It wasn't long before Central's head brass was being forcibly marched out to waiting camera crews as a long, but definitely VERY interesting explanation for the events was given. It was an unpleasant reality, but one the world needed to hear. One by one they told their stories. One by one they explained. Nothing was left out.

Well...almost nothing.

"I didn't get the Chaos Emerald." Marine murmured as she and Tails sat by King and Elise's side. "...you win." She admitted. "Good goin', mate."

"Marine. I know you are...concerned for your people." King admitted, gently patting her head. "But you have my word as future ruler of Soleanna...I PROMISE I will love your kind and accept them as if they're my own family. I will take care of you. Protect you. ALL of you."

"...I believe ya." She said, punching him slightly on the arm. "I've got all I need right here." She added, nuzzling Tails's arm.

"Wanting to have your cake and eat it too, huh? How SELFISH." Tails laughed gently.

"Guess White rubbed off on me a little bit." King admitted. "Sssaa-ha-ha-haaa!"

"So many wounded." Big the Cat murmured as he lifted a soldier onto a stretcher, standing by Shadow, glancing in his direction. "We still haven't tallied up all of the dead, I'm afraid..."

"I'd sacrifice my own magic if it meant getting my hands back." Shadow admitted. "Of course, I can barely do my normal tricks with you helping me, I don't want to run the risk of you getting tugged into the Doorway." He told Rouge, shaking his head back and forth as they sat in a blown-open hospital wing.

"What about...this?" Big asked, taking something out from his pocket.

"...that's a..." Shadow gasped, Rouge gazing in surprise upon it.

"My subordinates who had helped me make the first emeralds were turned into..." Big whispered. "...but I think that...that they owuldn't mind being used to help someone who wants to make this country better. I have a request, though." He asked. "The Shanazarans. I wantcha to reverse all the policies on 'em. Let 'em go back home, ask for forgiveness, all of that."

"...I'll do it." Shadow agreed, nodding firmly.

"C'mere, then." Big said, grinning broadly. "I THINK YOU NEED A DOCTOR."

"I'm so, so sorry." Sonic said as he handed Baby Cheese to Vanilla and Cream, Cream gently rocking Cheese back and forth in her arms as Vanilla held her hand to her mouth. "...truly, I am."

"..."

"Are...you be alright?" Sonic asked.

"No." Vanilla admitted softly. "...but we will be." She added, patting her son on the head as he began to slowly wake, murmuring for his mommy. "We will be."

Meanwhile, NiGHTS had left. It bothered him to take off like this...but he had someone whom he needed to meet with. Someone whom he'd kept waiting for years...and years...and years.

"...Aleena." He murmured as he kneeled before her grave, Tiara and Amy seeing his figure from down the road as they went to go put flowers on her grave themselves. "...sorry...I took so long." He whispered, the last of his life ebbing from him. "...our sons are going to be so ANGRY I'm leaving now. Just when I finally started acting like a real father to them. So...angry..."

"...you idiot." Tiara murmured as she and Amy finally reached him, even though he had already gone cold. "You stupid, STUPID idiot...dying with such a smile on your face..."

"Omega..." Emerl said, taking his "brother in arm's" hand. "Shadow has just told Shade that the policies on our land will be revised. I'm going to be going back to the land with Master Bokkun. We will help rebuild our home and our culture. And...well...you...you've become something." He admitted as they walked alongside each other towards Shade's tent. "A symbol of hope. You changed into a force that fought for Mobius and for the whole world. You mean much to us."

"You are asking for my help?" Omega asked. "...I've been alive for a long time, solely interested in getting revenge. Then I tried to stay alive to change this country. Now you want me to live so that I can bring a country back to life. Well..." He rubbed his "chin". "This can be MY holy trinity."

"It could be an impossible challenge, what we're asking of you." Emerl admitted.

"If I've learned anything from these sapients and humans, it's that if you have power, ANYTHING is possible." Omega insisted. "My brother gave that power to me. Now I can finally use it. Now I WILL use it."

"I would like to know something." Shade asked as they entered her tent. "...what is your TRUE name?" She mused.

"...my name?" Omega murmured. "...just...call me Lazarus." He decided, shrugging slightly.

...

...

...

... "AMMMMEEES!" Sonic's voice yelled out from down the road as Amy, sitting on the porch with Tiara, looking through a copy of "The Screwtape Letters" glanced up, blinking slowly a few times as she saw a blue blur with something orange present on his back racing down the road towards them. "HEY! **Amy!**"

"Well, decided to drop in and surprise me?" Amy laughed happily, hopping down the stairs, noticing suddenly that...wait. There was no glimmer of gold on any of their legs or wrists. They had no rings on.

They had no rings on and yet...

"...that...means..." Amy whispered, hands going to her mouth as she felt raw tears of joy spring to her eyes. Oh sweet Jesus, she thought. Oh yes, YES, THANK YOU **GOD!**

"Well..." Sonic said as he put his piggy-backed brother down on the ground, smiling in a slightly cocky fashion at her. "We're back."

"You're HOME." Amy sobbed out, clinging to them tightly as they wept for joy, Tiara putting her cigarette out as she chuckled. The secondhand smoke was strong...strong enough to make you cry.

_Well..._

_It's been three years. Shadow decided to work in conjunction with Soleanna and Shade with Shanazar. Mobius has become more and more prosperous than ever. _

_Vanilla took the position of First Lady after Dr. Eggman's passing. We weren't too surprised. She was so popular, so beloved. It was an absolute sweep in the polls. _

_POLLS! We have a DEMOCRACY now, can you believe it? _

_Oh, I can't forget about Cream and Cheese. Cheese doesn't seem to remember anything at all. As far as he knows, he's just Cream's bestest friend in all the world. Nobody really wants to change his mind. He's totally devoted to her. I think that if the old him knew where he was now though...he'd be a little happy. And maybe he really DOES know what he used to be...but he just doesn't care. _

_I'd like to think that. That he chose this._

_We did so much...helped so many people. And they've wanted to come and help us. I'm travelling the world now...what happened in Mobius triggered a new explosion of magical power. People are showing abilities the likes of which we've never seen. Rings actually fell from the SKY! I wonder if..._

_It might be HIM up to something. Was that what he meant when he said..._

_I'll be heading to Australia with Marine. She wants to see the land of her ancestors. She would have invited King, but the Ruler of Soleanna has a marriage ceremony to attend to. And when I get there...so will I._

_And Sonic? Well...he waned to go off to see the world too. We'll be meeting back up soon. But he took Amy with him. I wonder why?_

"Amy...listen." Sonic said as Amy clung to him, arms around his neck, him holding her by her legs as she rode piggyback. "I wanna ask you something." He told her as they raced through the fields, the midday sun brightly shining in the sky. "I guess you can call it a...offer. I...I'd like to get something and...and I want to split the price with you."

"Oh?" Amy asked, an intrigued expression rising on her features.

"It means I'll give you half my life...and you give me half of yours...and half your stuff...and half the house...hopefully not half the kids, that kind of thing gets MESSY, but...listen, I guess what I'm REALLY trying to say is I want to take a chance on you. And...and take the biggest risk I've ever taken. And considering I'm the guy who beat down an angel, this is saying something!" Sonic told her as he launched himself through the air, landing atop a hill and looking up at Amy as she rested her head atop of his. "...so..."

"Sonikku...I've been waiting for a long, long time for you to say something like that." She said gently. "Yes. Oh my God, YES." She told him. "Half my life nothin', I'm gonna let you take it all!"

"I'm thinkin' Vegas?" Sonic asked. "Then maybe Paris...New York...Venice..."

"Good thing you can run so damn fast, huh, "Blue Blur"?" Amy giggled. "In fact...you run really, REALLY fast..."

"What can I say? It's magic!" Sonic laughed as he shot across the plains, the future opening up wide ahead of them, the endless possibilities of a brand new day shining forth.

"We don't have to explain it!"

_**This is my escape...  
I'm running through this world,  
And I'm not looking back!**_

_**'Cause I know I can go...  
Where no one's ever gone,  
And I'm not looking back!**_

_**But how will I know when I get there?  
And how will I know when to leave?  
We've all got to start from somewhere...  
And it's right there for me!  
The possibilities are neverending!**_

_**I see it, I see it,  
And now it's all within my reeeaaaach!  
Endless possibility!  
I see it, I see it now,  
It's always been inside of meeeee...  
And now I feel so freeeee...  
Endless possibility!**_

_**And so I'll carry on...  
My time to shine has come,  
I feel it!**_

_**As fast as I can go...  
Straight to the top I know,  
You'll see it!  
(You'll see it)**_

_**So please wake me up when I get there?  
It feels like I'm lost in a dream...  
I know in my heart that it's my time...  
And I already see...  
The possibilities are neverending!**_

_**I see it, I see it,  
And now it's all within my reeeaaaach!  
Endless possibility!  
I see it, I see it now,  
It's always been inside of meeeee...  
And now I feel so freeeee...  
Endless possibility!**_

_**Endless possibility...**_

_**Endless possibility...**_

**Author's Note:**

**And so I reach the end of this tale. And I thank you all for joining me on it. It was my absolute pleasure to write, and I hope those who looked through it found something to love half as much as I loved writing this story. **

**I dedicate this tale to C.S Lewis, one of my favorite authors and inspirations of all time. Thank you, dude. God bless. ^_^**

**God bless us...every one! :D **


End file.
